Eight tips to help your child with Elementary and High School Online
At MGM Academy we know what it means to have children studying in elementary and high school online. It’s not easy to turn your home into a classroom, but as parents, there are some things you can do about it.
The unplanned school closing due to the pandemic; undoubtedly took many families by surprise. Suddenly, children around the world began learning at home. For many, this was a new experience, and today parents and students alike are still trying to learn more about starting elementary and high school online.
Fortunately, there are proven ways to overcome the challenges of getting started and ensure that students get the most out of their distance learning experience.
Some of the best tips for getting started in online education come from our e-learning instructors: adults who mentor, guide, and encourage their students and are willing to share what worked for them. Here are some of their recommendations to help prepare your child for online learning success:
Keep a good attitude
Progressing through change is complicated but doable if you always have a positive attitude. Start developing a motivated and optimistic outlook early on. It will continue throughout the school year, strengthening your child’s personal growth and them for success in life.
1. Encourage positive thinking
Maintaining a positive attitude is the foundation of physical, mental, and emotional health, which are critical to school performance. One way to promote positive thinking is to show your child how it is. Seeing is believing, so incorporate positive thinking into your daily activities that your child notices.
2. Motivate your child
Another tip for those studying elementary and high school online is to give them the responsibility to prepare for the school year. Letting them express their opinions about setting schedules and expectations empowers them and promotes self-motivation.
Gaining inner inspiration to perform a task produces a sense of personal satisfaction. Internal motivation, also known as intrinsic motivation, builds on itself to become a long-term driver for achievement.
3. Set personal goals
SMART is an acronym for setting objectives that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, timely, and time-bound; they are precise goals that allow you to analyze the performance of your efforts.
Therefore, setting goals and deadlines prompts students to focus more on what they are trying to accomplish. Academic tips for setting SMART goals are to Set milestones toward achievement to measure progress. Talk with your child about what goals are realistic and achievable.
Is a relevant and competently challenging goal for what you are trying to accomplish? What is your deadline for reaching each milestone and the final goal? Remember: Write SMART goals for later accountability.
Although the transition period to online school may take a few weeks for learners, successful MGM Online Academy families tell us that the rewards are worth the effort.
4. Dedicate areas for learning
One of the most relevant tips for starting an online school is to organize your child’s study space at home. Create a place for everything (books, computers, pens, paper, and other items) and keep everything in its proper place.
Categorize folders by subject, assignments, and notices. Do the same with computer and email files. Whether your child uses a digital or wall calendar, include family and personal appointments. Doing all these things with your child’s learning environment is very important to encourage them to continue their school year.
5. Establish a flexible routine and make it work
Parents and their children often agree that flexibility in online learning is an extraordinary benefit over traditional schools. But, making online school more effective means establishing a routine and adapting to it.
It may take trial and error before setting a schedule that fits the family. Remember to give your child a voice in making the schedule. A sense of involvement is essential to sustaining a positive attitude and staying motivated.
It’s always better to be ahead of the curve than to struggle to catch up. Break big projects into small, manageable chunks, and assign each one a deadline. Don’t waste time; force yourself to do the things, and you’ll be much better off in the long run.
Here are a few more recommendations for keeping students on a path that works. They work just as well for online learning in the middle grades (virtual middle school)and distance learning in elementary and high school online.
6. Make the most of your resources
Online and combined learners today have several resources to support their learning. Textbooks, the library, online instructional tools, and reliable websites are just a few.
But don’t forget about your academic support team: experienced learning instructors, teachers, professors, school counselors, and principals are excellent sources of information and inspiration.
7. Have fun!
Include time in your flexible routine to turn off the computer and get away from the books. Virtual school can be a stressor, and mental breaks and reinforcement are excellent ways to release tension.
It brings many other benefits, such as encouraging social and emotional growth and improving short-term memory. Including some physical activity in the daily schedule keeps children healthy and gives them a chance to burn off the energy that builds up while sitting still.
8. Plan for success, and prepare for mishaps
Being stunned is part of the educational process and can lead to a rating that does not meet expectations. So, prepare in advance to find effective ways to deal with negative emotions.
In the short term, it may be worth letting your child struggle to deal with the mishap on their own. However, be prepared to help him out before frustration sets. A stress relief set is an excellent resource if things start to pile up for your child.
Finally, these handy tips for virtual learning are just a few ways to achieve a successful online learning experience. MGM Academy virtual private school has many more to boost student success and engagement, develop learning skills and personal growth, and navigate the online learning curriculum.
You can also register to participate in virtual events, including presentations from MGM Academy parents and learning instructors who share their recommendations to start online school effectively. They’ve been where you are now and know what it takes to lead your child to succeed in school and whatever the future holds for them.
Enroll your child on our platform and discover how easy it is to start elementary and high school online from home.