Help Your Child Focus and Engage During Distance Learning

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When confined to distance learning, children can encounter some challenges. They don't have a dynamic learning environment, they aren't surrounded by like-minded peers, and they mostly have to study on their own.

So, what can you do about it?

You can apply helpful techniques and methods that will make learning more engaging and retain your child's focus. Here are the best tips that can turn distance learning into an effective and even enjoyable experience.

Balance Out the Teacher-Parent Role

This might be the biggest challenge for parents. Suddenly, you have to add another role in your parenting resume - being a teacher. This can be confusing for some parents. Trying to detect the right way to keep the child disciplined without affecting their perception of you isn't easy.

The main objective for you is to balance discipline and support. You aren't a teacher who has to handle a room full of kids. Primarily, you should support your child through their learning journey.

However, you should also remind them that even though they are at home, they need to take learning seriously. Be empathetic but also set clear expectations.

Make a Daily Goal List

Motivation is a big part of focused and engaged learning. What can help you increase your child's motivation is creating a list of goals.

Seeing what they will accomplish that day and revising their weekly accomplishments will make your child feel content with themselves.

You can make keeping this list of daily goals more fun by letting them add a star sticker next to every goal they successfully achieve. Keep these lists on a visible place to remind them of how well they are doing.

Create a Task Checklist

Another visual presentation that can help your child focus is a task checklist. For each task, make a checklist so that your child can keep track of how much they have done.

For example, if the exercise has a listening and writing part, make a little box for both, and let them thick it when they're finished.

Task-based checklists are great for younger children as they help them get used to following steps and having a pathway for accomplishing tasks. Additionally, checklists give young learners a sense of control and make them feel more responsible by removing obstacles.

Adapt the Activities to Your Child

Tailor the studying material and means of learning to your child's needs, interests, and skills. Observe your child's learning habits to find out what suits him or her best.

Some children get the best results with repetitive learning, some like real-life examples, and some perform best when they study on their own. When you adapt your teaching to your child's abilities, they will be more interested in learning. You might notice that your child is a visual learner (as many young children are), so try to add as many visual enhancements as you can.

Find a Quiet Place for Learning

Eliminate all distractions to keep the child's focus directed solely towards learning. This means that you'll need a quiet place that will be devoted to learning.

If possible, choose a place where they don't usually play or watch cartoons. In this way, they won't be associated with those activities when it comes the time for learning.

Give Positive Reinforcement

Your child should have a positive attitude toward learning. To achieve that, you should give them praise and even rewards. Praise should be a regular part of their learning habits. It will help your child build their self-esteem and look at studying as something valuable.

Rewards can be something simple such as an extra hour of playtime, getting them ice cream, or doing something you both enjoy. Positive reinforcement should be consistent, fair, and achievable.

Add Break Time

On average, a 6-year-old child has a 12 to 18 minutes attention span. Keep that in mind, when you plan out your study schedule. Don't expect that a 5-year old or a 6-year-old can have uninterrupted attention for 45 minutes.

Show consideration for their restless spirit and make breaks. For example, you can take a short break after 20 minutes and a longer one after 45 minutes.

Forcing children to stay focused for a long time can be contra-productive. When you allow them to take a short rest, their mind will reboot, and they'll be more interactive and focused.

Encourage Physical Activity

Living and learning in the same place can be overwhelming for the child. What can help them release tension and increase their endorphins is exercising.

Introduce physical activities as a part of their daily routine. Let them ride their bike, take them to a park, or do a bonding run around the block. Their excessive energy will be lowered when they are physically active. Therefore, it will be easier for them to focus during class.

Hopefully, these tips will give you some guidance on how to improve your child's learning experience. Distance learning doesn't have to be monotonous or tedious if you know how to approach it. Embrace these tips, find what works best for your child, and get ready to receive the title of the best teacher.


BIO: Erica Sunarjo is a professional writer, translator, and editor with a Master's degree in Marketing and Social Media. She writes thought-provoking articles for publications in a variety of media. She is a regular contributor writer at GrabMyEssay and TrustMyPaper. Even though she is an expert in numerous fields of business, Erica is always dedicated to learning new things. She actively visits conferences and takes online classes to keep her mind open to innovative ideas.