Learning at Home? You’re Not Alone
04/30/2020
At APD, we’ve always cared about your health. But how can you stay healthy and balanced when everything is suddenly so different for you and your children?
Welcome to Community Care News, a free resource from APD designed to help you know how to stay healthy as a very different future unfolds for all of us. Here we will share tips about food, exercise, sleep, learning, and other issues important to improve your health in simple but important ways every day.
Community Care News Edition #5: Learning at Home? You’re Not Alone
With regional schools closed through the end of the school year, remote learning has become the norm. Children and teens are learning at home through a combination of web-based classes, printed lessons, phone calls with teachers, hands-on help from parents and caregivers, and the ever-popular Google Hangout or Zoom meeting.
If you’ve got a child who’s thriving with remote learning, consider yourself very lucky. If you are finding the situation less than optimal or your family is just barely hanging on, try some of the following resources—and know that you’ve got lots of company.
Remote learning resources
Most schools have done a great job getting remote learning to work as well as possible for everyone. And if you think your kids need a little something more to round out today’s education experience, there’s plenty out there. Here are some of our favorite online educational resources:
- For local science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, check out FourScience Vermont.
- For young creatives, try the Read, Draw, Create Community, children’s books authors and illustrators offer lessons.
- Children’s author Kate Messner has collected resources for kids in PreK through high school at Read, Wonder, and Learn.
- The NROC (Network, Resources, Open, College and Career) offers videos on every topic imaginable for older students.
- Try some educational games that get kids thinking critically and creatively!
- Get high quality instruction on a variety of topics for a variety of ages from cK12.org.
Don’t forget recess and the arts
Academics are important but they aren’t the only subjects taught at school. There’s physical education, music, and art, too. Even recess is an important part of a school day. It reduces stress, highlights the importance of play, and builds social ties. So head outside and play a game of tag. If you need to stay inside, build a pillow fort or play hide-and-seek carefully. Play some music or watch one of the many free concerts streaming online.
What we’re streaming with kids:
Teachers are trying
In the space of very little time, teachers around the country were asked to completely revamp how they teach, and the many of them have risen to the occasion. Remote learning is hard for everyone, but it’s also a chance for your child to express their appreciation to their teachers for trying something new. One fun remote learning assignment is to have your child write or draw a thank-you card for a favorite teacher. Be assured that card will go a long way toward making them very happy and grateful.