The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing – Stephen Covey
For years, researchers have touted that parent engagement is a critical component of student learning – and guess what, they’re spot on. Whether your student is learning at school or online while at home, you can help ensure that learning is happening. Here are four simple and manageable actions you can take to keep the momentum going and support learning at home. It is important when you think about supporting your child that you create a learning space, maintain a schedule, engage in content, and stay consistent. These four basic actions could greatly impact your child’s approach to education.
1. Create a Learning Space – Environment Matters
Identify a location in your home for your student(s) do their schoolwork. Schoolwork can be full days of learning online or it can be homework sent home from your child’s traditional school. Once you have identified the learning hub, use it consistently. My experience is that having my kids central to me when they are doing their work makes a difference. I can look over their shoulder, ask questions and offer guidance. In my house, the prime real estate for learning is the breakfast bar. I can cook dinner, empty the dishwasher, clean out the refrigerator and keep a listening ear on the schoolwork in action. Identifying a learning space is mission critical to successful learning at home.
2. Maintain a Schedule – and Stick to It
Families are busy, period. I know there are days when the chaos of a hectic schedule wreaks havoc on my parenting skills. I have found that building routines wherever possible helps, not just a little, but A WHOLE LOT. One such routine is the schoolwork drill. Identify and schedule a time of day that builds consistency for the completion of schoolwork. And stick to it! If your child is engaged in online learning, this time period will encompass a significant portion of the day. In this case, you will need to build a daily routine much like a teacher does. Schedule in lunch time and snacks, recognize that your child should get up from the chair regularly and engage in physical activity. Your schedule should have times attached. Whether your child is learning at home or bringing home schoolwork, you need a schedule too. Will your student be most productive right after school or right after dinner? How much work does the child have consistently and how much time do you need to allocate? What other activities is your child engaged in that take up evening time? At my house homework comes right after the bus drop off and a quick snack. Take some time to think about your child and how he or she functions. Think about work schedules and activity schedules, consider the amount of schoolwork that needs to be accomplished at home and then establish the schedule and stick to it!
3. Engage in the Content – Learning Matters
Okay, okay … if you are anything like me, the last thing you feel like doing is honing in on math skills long forgotten and helping with fractions – but do it anyway. Engaging in the content demonstrates to your student that you are invested in them and what they are learning. It shows your student that they are important and that learning matters. It could be a simple statement such as … show me how you solved that problem? Or a question like … what are you writing about? Tell me about your science project…why are the leaves on trees green? When kids take the time to explain things, they are moving the learning to a deeper level in their thinking. Be careful not to become a tyrant about schoolwork. The conversation should be kept fun and engaging, not a critical dissection of the errors in the student’s thinking. Stay tuned for our next blog about academic risk taking and perfect effort and you will have a better understanding about why this is so important when talking to kids about thinking processes.
4. Stay Consistent
Each one of the recommendations above – identifying a learning space, maintaining a schedule and engaging in content – only work if you are consistent. Staying consistent means doing it every single time there is a learning requirement. Kids may complain and find the experience painful at first but eventually they will know the drill and will take the lead in getting the work done. Staying consistent is often one of the most difficult parts of parenting. The reality is that we are tired after a work day with a long list of chores to do, but spending the first few weeks of school building consistency is worth it and will get easier. Consistency is the trick to making this all work and successfully supporting your student’s learning experiences.
Remember, you are your child’s first teacher. Creating time, space and engagement while maintaining consistency will send the positive message to your child that you value the work they are doing. Your message that learning is important makes a difference and helps create a mind shift. At the end of the day, your child will feel supported and learning will becomes a priority that matters.