Lifestyle

6 Best Distance Learning Activities and Tips For Your Kids

By: Dale Arasa - @inquirerdotnet

Inquirer Los Angeles / 12:24 PM February 11, 2021

Nowadays, parents are facing the unique challenge of creating distance learning activities. The pandemic is still ongoing, so children must stay indoors to avoid COVID-19. All schools closed until further notice, but education resumed via online learning. However, it’s a far cry from the traditional classroom setting, so it’s a struggle for parents, teachers, and students.

Of course, there’s always a way to make distance education work for your kids. With enough creativity, you can encourage your children to enjoy learning at home. In turn, they’re more likely to retain their lessons every day. This new setting requires more involvement from parents but gives you more control over how your children learn.

Start by dedicating a section of your home for your child’s learning. Decorate the area and organize their materials so the area becomes more conducive for learning. Eliminate all distractions and incentivize your child’s online lessons. Also, make sure your child remains physically active by playing games.

What Is Distance Learning?

Remote learning is the norm during this pandemic, but it’s hardly a novel concept. According to Harvard, distance learning has been around since 1728.

What’s more, students may perform distance learning activities in response to a natural disaster. This allows their education to resume while they wait for the calamity to subside.

However, this was often a temporary measure. It was supposed to be a stopgap while high schools and similar institutions restore normal operations.

Although, home-based learning has been trending in higher education even before the pandemic. Even better, it confers unique benefits that aren’t found in the classroom setting.

For example, it employs technologies that facilitate collaboration between teachers and students. What’s more, online courses opened more career opportunities.

Distance learning can match, if not surpass, the classroom setting. Implement the right distance learning activities, and your child may benefit significantly.

How Does Distance Learning Work?

Modern online classes are classified into three types. These are meant to accommodate students from varied educational backgrounds:

Asynchronous – Students are free to study at their own pace. They listen or read course material and finish activities independently.
Synchronous – Learners interact with their classmates and teachers using video-conferencing platforms.
Blended – This involves a combination of distance learning activities and resources. Students may access materials at their own pace, and they attend regularly scheduled video lectures. Some may even require campus visits to increase collaboration.

Most students work with a blended distance learning program during the pandemic. Your child may have PDFs, and Google Slides as learning materials.

They use collaboration tools like Google Classroom, where students share their assignments. Also, they usually attend online courses online via Zoom or Google Meet.

Distance Learning Tips

Let’s face it. You’re probably struggling to make remote learning work at home. We understand how daunting it must be to keep your child’s attention during online classes.

After all, your child may be confused with going to school while at home. Worse, most kids spend more time playing than studying at home.

Of course, there are numerous ways to keep students engaged during online learning. You’ll have to check online methods, but you may have to create your own as well.

You must create a learning environment at home for your child. Designate an area in your house, then decorate and reorganize his learning materials there.

Remove distractions such as toys and gadgets, so your child can concentrate while studying. If you observe more ways to make distance learning work, feel free to try them.

Fun Home Office Layouts

Prepare a learning environment that’s conducive to your child’s distance learning activities. Start by choosing a quiet spot at home. The area must provide ample lighting and zero distractions.

Next, decorate the area to dedicate it for online learning. This helps your child take distance learning seriously. You may encourage your kid’s involvement by letting them decorate too!

Organize your kid’s materials in the online learning space. Add a stress relief toy if they’re fidgety. Everything seems to be online these days, even grocery shopping!

Noise-canceling Headphones

Some children are unruly, steering their attention away from distance learning activities. Others may have health conditions that hamper their ability to focus.

In response, you may purchase a pair of quality noise-canceling headphones. Let your child listen to instrumental tunes wearing them, so they pay attention to their school activities.

Make sure that their headphones effectively block out ambient noise. Buy brand new ones to ensure a previous owner hasn’t contaminated them.

Encourage Physical Activity

School education goes beyond the classroom setting. It includes PE classes and field trips to your child’s learning experience. Sadly, these are not typical distance learning activities.

Nevertheless, your child needs physical activity to maintain good health. Without it, your child may experience health problems and struggle with learning.

Include physical activities such as stretching in between distance learning sessions. Also, let your kid find physical activity apps they can enjoy indoors.

Create a Reward System

Incentives encourage children to perform positive behaviors. Rewarding students during distance learning activities reinforce their class participation.

You may choose from several reward systems for distance learning. For example, you may implement a creativity care package where students create artworks and express themselves.

Also, you may treat your child to their favorite meals after earning good grades. Even better, you may find more reward ideas online or create new ones.

Communicate With Your Child And Their Teacher

Children may exhibit unusual behaviors during the pandemic. We must minimize outdoor contact to avoid the coronavirus. Sadly, isolation takes a toll on children and adults.

Observe your child during distance learning activities, but don’t hover over them. Please find time to talk with them about their classes to check for potential problems.

Furthermore, communicate with your child’s teachers. Ask them about how your kid’s doing in class. This enables you to detect problems outside your view.

Creativity Is Key

As we’ve mentioned, use your imagination to make online learning effective. Base your ideas on your kid’s interests, so he’s likely to enjoy and learn from remote learning.

With the right perspective, your home can provide numerous learning opportunities. For example, you may play scavenger hunts where kids find household objects by solving riddles.

Creativity may apply beyond distance learning activities. You may also innovate with your kid’s home learning area.

Final Thoughts

Distance learning can be challenging, but it’s doable. With creativity and determination, parents may enhance their children’s home education.

You can help your children learn at home by creating an appropriate environment. Prepare a vacant area at home, then remove all potential distractions.

You may have to purchase equipment to maintain your kid’s concentration. They may need noise-cancellation headphones or stress relief toys to focus better.

Furthermore, they could provide rewards to encourage participation in distance learning activities. Parents should also communicate with their children to check for problems.

As we’ve mentioned, you need to be creative with your kid’s distance learning. You may add other activities such as virtual field trips, but you may create more for your child.

Most importantly, maintain your child’s health with physical activity. You should also teach healthy sleep habits for children by requiring them to sleep on time.