Online Learning — Importance of Family Engagement
As schools continue in our living rooms and more and more children turn to online tutoring, it is time to speculate the importance of family engagement in a child’s learning. Online learning provides families a chance to get involved with their child’s learning, like never before, leading to a conducive environment for the child’s academic progress.
Parents have a crucial role to play with home/online learning. At home, they are the helpers who have to don different hats according to the requirement. Somedays, parents have to become the IT guy and troubleshoot the internet connection and on others, they need to perform some invaluable hand-holding as their child navigates the overwhelming virtual world.
Several studies show that there is a direct correlation between parental involvement in a child’s academic performance and this correlation is a positive one for every age group. The same applies to virtual learning which has become the new normal.
Pandemic or No Pandemic, virtual learning is here to stay. Therefore, it is vital for you, the parent to understand that your involvement with school can go a long way in your child’s academic success. Family engagement is for both online and offline schools anyway. The only difference lies in the methods of engagement.
Family Engagement — What it Means to Participate
During online learning, family engagement encompasses everything from being aware of the child’s class schedule to helping with homework printouts. Parents can start by acquainting themselves with the school’s online resources. Dive nose-first into the class curriculum and look around the platform to understand where to find the resources such as course material, worksheets, important updates, etc.
Attend the Parents’ Orientation Program
Next, you can get to know the teachers and the parents of other children. Online learning is not just difficult for children, it is equally new and complicated for parents. So, it will be best to find a community and ask for help when needed. Most schools offer the ‘Parent’s Orientation’ programs that are meant to prepare the parents for what’s to come in a school year. Actively participate in such programs, ask questions and also help other parents if they need guidance.
Help Create the Curriculum
Some schools are reaching out to parents to ask for help with curating teaching materials. This kind of initiative from the school’s side points towards their understanding of the importance of family engagement and their willingness to change the traditional methods with time. A parent-teacher collaboration can subsequently lead to customized lesson plans that are more effective than common curriculums. And when you help create a lesson plan, you will be able to guide your child in a better way during online classes.
Take Care of the Nuances
Online learning means several activities that have to be performed at home. Make time for them. Get down on the floor with your child and give your best to family activities. Yes, it might not always be possible for parents to take time out of work to take part in projects and experiments, and schools are doing their best to work with that knowledge but some things need parental involvement. Schools won’t ask you to participate often but when they do, you must. Other than activities, you can provide support to your child by taking care of nuances like, shopping for stationery, printing the worksheets, and helping with homework submissions on the portal.
Dos and Don’ts of Family Engagement
Online learning is a complicated process. And if you look closely, you have to manage several thin lines to successfully navigate this task. For example, while it requires parents to be more involved with their child’s education, parents mustn’t try to over-step the teacher/s. Similarly, online learning is all about screen time, so, parents will have to keep aside their notion of ideal screen times and make way for efficient learning.
If you are a parent, scrambling to ensure your child has a positive experience with online learning, here are some dos and don’ts that can help you tremendously.
The Dos
1. Create a Routine
Online classes mean no running out of the door at a fixed time of the day. The need to go nowhere in the morning can lead to lazy beginnings where your child directly goes from the bed to the study table. Do not let that happen. Create a routine, set a wake-up time so that your child has enough time to freshen up, and have breakfast before the classes begin.
Similarly, for the whole day, plan out time slots for games, homework, other classes, and even for simple activities like lunch, TV, Snapchat with friends, etc. You do not have to be stringent with these timelines, but having a rough division of 24 hours can lead to a positive headspace for learning.
2. Talk to the Teachers
Online learning’s success is heavily dependent on parent-teacher interaction. In this method, teachers need parents to assess a child’s progress. They will conduct tests from time to time but they can understand only so much through the screen. Talk to the teacher whenever you can and share your struggles and achievements. This will also give you a chance to personalize your child’s learning. Share all the feedbacks honestly and be prompt to inform the teacher whenever you identify a learning gap.
3. Learn cheerleading
Online learning is difficult in many ways. For some children, it is a completely new experience away from their regular school. For others, excessive screen time creates new challenges. As a parent, you have to constantly encourage your children and help them adjust to the new setting. Motivate them where they need, simplify concepts for them and appreciate them when they do well. You will also have to learn to give them space when they need it. For older children, you can provide the initial support then gradually let them take the center stage.
4. Connect with other Parents
Talking to other parents can give you a different perspective on your child’s learning. You will be able to look at issues differently and this change of perspective will help you effectively support your child. You can create mail/chat groups with other parents, have zoom meetings once or twice a month or you can also have play dates which will give your child a chance to interact with a friend while you discuss the ups and downs of online learning, face-to-face.
The Don’ts
1. Do not be too Strict
Like already discussed, you must find a balance between being strict and lenient. Create a routine to make the days productive but do not stress too much on it because a day in school and a day at home can never look the same. Online learning is flexible and provides a lot of free time to the students. Do not try to fill up all the slots and make the day busy.
2. Do not Worry About Screen Time
Online learning means a lot of screen time. Do not sit with a clock and worry about it. Let your child attend classes, do homework and enjoy other activities online. You can take care of the screen time hazard by planning proper breaks in between activities. Direct your children towards activities that do not require a screen and relax.
3. Do not Try to Become the Teacher
While you take the concept of family engagement seriously, do not try to over-step the teachers. You must always stand one step behind and let the teachers do their job; unless of course, you can see some glaring issues. The point is, do not interfere with the learning process, just stand by and help.
Family engagement is a great tool for improving a child’s academic performance without directly focusing on lessons. It does not only apply to school learning, family engagement can be a cornerstone for online tutoring programs also. You may find it hard to find a balance between providing help and standing back when needed in the initial days but once you master the technique, you will never have to worry about your child’s grades and your relationship with the ever-growing mini-adults.
