Expert Resources to Help Parents Support Learning from Home
byAlyssa Austin
4 min to read
If you’re new to online school, homeschool, or other at-home learning programs and trying to support your child’s education—while also working from home—you’ve probably hit a few bumps along the way. You’re not alone in wondering how to teach at home—and we can help.
3 Helpful Tips to Teach at Home for Parents of Online Students
Check out these three helpful tips for learning how to be a teacher at home:
1. Establish helpful boundaries.
When your child is attending school from the comfort of their own home, it can be difficult to set divisions for “learning time” versus “just-being-at-home time.” One of the best ways you can support teaching at home is by establishing boundaries that make this learning model more structured for your child. Work with them to identify where their home “classroom” will be. Identify where, when, and how often breaks happen throughout the day. Create a regular lunch time and location that becomes part of the routine. Come up with an “end of school day” ritual that concludes school time and can transition them back into at-home time.
This is especially important if you have a young child and are learning how to teach preschool at home. Routines have a number of benefits for young children, and that certainly applies to online learning. You can learn more about how to establish online learning routines in this guide.
2. Engage and ask questions.
Even though your child is learning at home (and you may be at home with them during the school day), take the time to engage and ask them questions about their day. How was your day? What did you learn today? What was your favorite thing you learned today? What do you have for homework? These are all great ways to give your child an opportunity to reflect on their day, discover if there are any areas they need extra help in, and for you to be a more active player in their day-to-day online learning journey.
3. Consider what kind of approach works best for you.
The reality is, every situation is different and what works for one family may not work for another. So, it’s important to consider your unique situation as a parent: your work demands, your work location, how much time you have available, other caregivers in the picture, and more. A parent who has three children and works from home is going to need to take a different approach to how to teach at home than a parent who has one child but is going into the office every day.
You can learn more about eight different approaches to being or selecting a Learning Coach and undertaking how to be a teacher at home in this guide to making online school work for your family.
7 Great Resources to Help You Learn How to Be a Teacher at Home
Explore this curated list of resources and advice for parents, written and compiled by online school experts. You’re sure to find some good advice for keeping your children engaged in learning at home.
Teaching at Home Resources for All Grades
Motivational Tips - This document provides tips and ideas to motivate your student.
Student Struggle While Learning Can Have Positive Results - This document explains the value of productive struggle and how to incorporate it into your student’s day.
Succeeding with a Growth Mindset - This document explains the meaning of developing a growth mindset and how to encourage it with your student.
Teaching at Home Resources for Elementary School Students
- Coach for Active Learning: Elementary - This document explains how to engage your elementary grade student in active learning.
Teaching at Home Resources for Middle and High School Students
Coach for Active Learning: Middle School - This document explains how to engage your middle school student in active learning.
Coach for Active Learning: High School - This document explains how to engage your high school student in active learning.
Coach for Success: High School - This document explains how to coach your high school student and describes effective virtual school habits.
These tips to teach at home and advice in these resources are designed to help your family find success in homeschool, online school, and distance learning. As you and your students gain success, you’re likely to find the time you spend learning together rewarding and begin to enjoy the many benefits of at-home learning.
To discover more ways to enhance your child’s learning from home, explore our family resource page.
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