We’re in uncharted waters. We’re stressed and our kids are stressed — even if they don’t show it.
As parents, bringing some sense of normalcy to our households can help, and we can do this by creating routines. Routines make life feel more predictable and help dial back anxiety, which is something we can all use right now.
So, sit down with your child and open up the dialogue about what the next few weeks will look like.
Agree on:
- A specific time to get up and out of bed in the morning and a time to get to bed at night.
- A time for lunch and a time for dinner.
- A time for learning, ideally in the morning.
And here’s why mornings are best if you want your kids to stay in “study mode” and resist “summer vacation mode”:
- Alertness and energy levels steadily climb in the morning.
- They reach their peak at around noon.
- But they tend to take a nose-dive during the afternoons. And that drop means that our brains have trouble with focus and inhibiting distractions.
Just what does this time for learning look like? It’s going to be a little different for every student, depending on age and whether there’s school-assigned work.
Although some schools have already pushed out assignments for kids to do, most have not. Check your school’s assignment portal regularly, as information is rapidly changing.
Grades K-3:
- Produce a “Pop-Up Library” — Have your child gather books from around the house and pick their favorites to read, or just look at pictures if they’re not reading yet.
- Create a “Creativity Station” — Stock it with coloring books or simple art projects. Pull out the Lego or a puzzle or make a card for grandma. Anything that gets kids’ creativity flowing will work!
- Delve into Digital — Set up a specific time for digital learning. Devices should be accessible at set times so young children don’t have free reign. I love BrainPop Jr., and you can find more apps here.
Grades 4-8:
- Log In Together — Visit your school’s website. Are there any upcoming assignments or projects your child can work on? Create a “to-do” list with your child, not for your child.
- Set Aside D.E.A.R. Time (Drop Everything and Read) — Whether it be a graphic novel, comic strip, or a traditional book, it really doesn’t matter; allow your child to pick something of high interest. Personally, I love the idea of a series. If your child is hooked after the first book, it’s natural to move on to the next. Check out The New York Times list of best-selling series.
- Learn with BrainPop — BrainPop (different than the junior version above) is one of the best sites out there to keep kids engaged in all different subject areas. Hundreds of animated videos are combined with activities, games and even interactive quizzes to be sure learning sticks. It’s available in Spanish, too! They just added this information on the coronavirus to make it feel a little less scary.
High schoolers:
- Keep It Fresh — Older students need routines, too, and given the volume of work they have these days, there’s almost always something to work on. Keep math fresh by completing any upcoming assignments, finish a book that’s been assigned or begin studying for an upcoming test, even if it’s a month away. Without regular review, our brains forget quickly.
- Include IXL or Khan Academy — Both of these resources allow students to study advanced material in language arts and STEM subjects in an interactive way that reduces boredom.
- Get Ahead in AP — For those in AP courses, use this time to get ahead preparing for the exam, which will reduce a whole lot of stress later on. Amazon has a host of best-selling prep books, but you can also find free resources online.
- Act on Activities — If you have a junior, it’s not too early to start your college application activities list. This is actually takes a good amount of time to get it right, and a parent’s help, too.
The bottom line is to include your child when setting up any kind of routine or study time. By doing so, they’re far more likely to buy into the agreement and a lot less likely to give mom or dad a hard time about it.
It’s also true that visual reminders trump verbal ones, so put this agreement in writing (ideally have your child write the schedule) and post it in a ‘public’ place, like the refrigerator for all to see.
Ann Dolin is the president and founder of Educational Connections Tutoring and Test Prep.
