Struggling with school online? Many Upstate families are working with online school programs for the remainder of this school year. If you’re having a bit of difficulty, you’re not alone. Joan Russell, Center Director of Spartanburg’s Sylvan Learning Center, has some tips to share to help you tackle online schooling.
- Wondering how other families are doing with schooling at home? Here’s what Upstate, SC parents have to say about school at home and how they are getting it done.
- Check out our virtual learning resources and things to do!
Many South Carolina schools have introduced e-learning as a means of adapting to the unpredictable COVID-19. With most online courses offered at the college-level, parents and students in the K-12 age group are most likely unfamiliar with the e-learning structure and its impact on students.
Due to the lack of structure, accountability and stimulation, e-learning can encourage your child to take the easiest possible routes when it comes to absorbing information. In the midst of a global pandemic, how can you combat the challenges of e-learning? Sylvan is here with some
valuable tips that will help your student get the most out of this time.
Treat the class like it’s not online.
Tell your child to sit and stay seated. With no accountability or consequences, your child is going to be tempted to wander around the house in between their learning segments. If they had the discipline to stay seated and focused in school, they should practice having it at home as well.
Keep the same school hours.
At the announcement of e-learning, your child was probably ecstatic for the opportunity to dictate their own learning schedule. However, encourage them to stick to the same time frame as normal school. Yes, unfortunately, that means waking up early.
Eliminate distractions-have a dedicated study space.
If your child has a hard time staying on task, encourage them to switch up their workspace to a location less distracting.
Stay focused, but also take study breaks.
While it’s important to promote long periods of online working without distraction, it’s also important to allow your child some well-placed study breaks. Their performance will start to decrease without a couple earned brain breaks.
Ask for more information/help when needed
Just because your child’s teacher isn’t with them in person doesn’t mean they’re completely out of reach. If the assignment is too hard or even not hard enough, email the teacher for more information. Remember too that teachers are adapting to substantial changes with large groups of students and parents. Some children need additional educational services, even when school is operating normally. Sylvan and other supplemental services are available during this time to provide testing and other resources that ensure your child is ready for the classroom when school reopens.
About the Author:
Joan Russell is the Center Director of Spartanburg’s Sylvan Learning Center.