The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a myriad of changes to how we live our daily lives. This is quite evident for many primary schools, secondary school, and college students that have been accustomed to doing face-to-face classes throughout much of their lives. However, the public health crisis caused by the pandemic has forced many schools to have a more “unorthodox” approach to teaching.
Since last year, many educational institutes have been revamping much of their daily operations so that they can effectively teach students. Naturally, parents want to ensure that their children will have a safe environment conducive to learning. Naturally, online teaching is considered one of the best ways of minimizing the risk and effects of COVID-19. But there are also various ways of learning without having to depend solely on technology, devices, and the internet.
Nowadays, many students are currently enrolled through remote education. Compared to strictly incorporating technology and devices, this learning process will also use offline reading resources, which can help facilitate the learning process without needing to attend classes physically.
Helping Children Transition
Since most children are already accustomed to learning in the traditional brick-and-mortar educational environment, they’ll need help when it comes to transitioning.
But first, we must know why remote learning can help children optimize the learning process. If these students are already studying remotely, they will have the following advantages:
Time Management and Safety
First and foremost, the key advantage of remote learning is that time can be easily managed. Most children won’t have to commute or have their parents drive them to school every single day. Public safety is another known advantage of just learning at home since this can mitigate the risk of contracting health complications, such as COVID-19.
For parents, there’s less time needed in preparing meals for lunch boxes or clothes for school. This means that there will be more time available for studying both online and offline modules.
Versatility and Flexibility
In many schools, children will need to stay seated for around six to eight hours in a classroom while paying attention to the teacher. While some students can pay attention to lessons and process information, some students will have problems with attention and this sudden switch. With remote education, they’ll be able to learn at their own pace.
Children, especially those who are still in elementary and previous educational levels, can read things aloud effectively; they can do so at the comfort of their own home. Research has shown that children that are reading materials aloud can easily remember their lessons.
Parents must oversee the lessons that their children are doing. Although they might be at home, it’s still important not to distract them from their current lessons. Most experts would suggest playing soft music at a minimum decibel to ensure that they can understand. Recent studies have shown that playing soothing music can help improve focus. The bottom line? Your children will have numerous options when it comes to learning their lessons.
School-Life Balance
Although learning remotely does have its own merits, learning at home can be mentally taxing. This is mostly attributed to the lack of balance between school and home. Having offline and online resources being readily-available 24/7 means that children can easily access these reading materials, which can blur the line between domestic life and school life.
If you find your child to be stressed out with their home environment while learning, it’s best to balance school and rest. Fortunately, there are still operational schools that are willing to accommodate students, like Stamford American, a known international school in Singapore that’s known for giving students a plethora of different; activities and state-of-the-art facilities where they can enjoy hobbies and sports.
Most experts would suggest setting up a strict schedule so that children can mentally distinguish between school activities and activities that can help them rest. Listing down activities as “outside of school” can help ease up any tension and stress that they might have.
For many children, transitioning towards a new learning environment can be mentally taxing when they’re already used to learning in the traditional learning environment. Parents will need to be mindful that children should have fun while studying. They should also experience and enjoy the world around them. After all, they’ll need some quality time to themselves to function well. Remember: education is all about helping your child understand and succeed. If they’re too stressed out, it can be counter-intuitive to the process. So take the necessary steps to ensure that your child feels well in their environment.
