While vaccination rates continue to improve and schools transition back to face-to-face classes, one thing is for certain – remote learning is here to stay.
Sure, Singapore may be working towards treating COVID-19 as endemic. But with the virus’s unpredictability, alternating between distance and in-person learning is something that your child will have to adapt to.
No doubt online learning has its benefits. Both you and your child can enjoy an extra hour of sleep since there’s no need to travel to school. Your child can also build their independence and learn to be responsible for their work. However, remote learning comes with a fair share of challenges for preschool educators, children and parents like yourself.
Challenges Of Remote Learning
Having navigated home-based learning with your child for the past year or so, you’re probably more than familiar with how tough it can be. For starters, younger children, especially those under 7 years old, can’t stay focused for long. We can’t blame them — there are so many more fun things to do than stare at a computer! A Zoom class can never truly replace real-life interactions and hands-on activities, since it is difficult to capture attention through pixels on a screen.
On top of that, online learning also impacts a child’s mental health. Your little one may feel more isolated as they miss out on playing with classmates and making new friends at preschool.
So, as remote learning becomes part of our new norm, how can you help your child thrive?
Tips To Support Your Child During Remote Learning
1. Make Learning Fun!
Who says learning has to be boring? From arts and crafts to music and even sensory play activities, there are plenty of ways to engage your child and enrich their education at home. Play online quizzes together or exercise your child’s fine motor skills with some creative paper art or origami. Take advantage of MindChamps’ specially designed learning packages and download our complimentary preschool activity e-guides!
2. Establish A Routine
Kids crave structure. At preschool, they have daily schedules and know exactly what to expect. But at home? You might be busy with your own work, and can’t give them your undivided attention. A good workaround is to come up with a home routine for your child to mimic the daily rhythm at preschool. It doesn’t have to be set in stone either! It can be as simple as allocating flexible chunks of time for breakfast and lunch, learning and physical activities, play time and snack breaks.
Try using visual tools like a whiteboard and timer so your child can follow along by themselves. It’s an excellent way to teach them time management skills and independence from an early age!
3. Check In With Them Daily
Checking in regularly with your child lets you potentially spot early signs of loneliness or anxiety. It also helps to strengthen your relationship with your child, which is crucial. In fact, research has shown that a supportive relationship with an adult helps build resilience in children.
Take a few minutes each day to ask your child questions such as:
- What did you learn today?
- What was the most fun thing you did today?
- What do you feel like doing tomorrow?
4. Focus On Nurturing Life & Social Skills
With few opportunities to learn through interactions at preschool, it is vital to support your child’s social and emotional growth at home. One way is to use children’s books to introduce them to social-emotional skills like empathy, coping with emotions and getting along with others. Books let your kids place themselves in the shoes of characters as they go through new experiences, face their fears, and feel all sorts of emotions like anger, sadness and joy.
Another method is to give positive reinforcement for good behaviour. It can be tempting to say “no!” when your child gets distracted. Instead, try saying “good job!” when they are participating well in the activity; clapping and cheering when they show you what they’ve achieved.
You could also set up small-group playdates with kids of fellow vaccinated families or relatives to give your child the opportunity to develop social skills in a safe space.
With the right tools and strategies, you can protect your child’s emotional wellbeing and help them enjoy remote learning. Bring the MindChamps PreSchool learning experience home with our educational home-based learning resources to nurture your child’s mind. Access e-guides, fun activities, games, and more!