Virtual school, digital learning, distance learning. While not new, we’ve heard some variation of these terms for months, and as the school year ramps up, that doesn’t look to change. Whether eLearning due to COVID-19 or choosing to homeschool full-time, you’ll want to make sure to set up your student, family, and home for success from the beginning. Follow these tips to make the most of at-home learning.

Even though your student will be learning digitally, there will be note-taking, art projects, and homework assignments. Think back to school supply lists from previous years. Chances are, they will still need most of these supplies. You can forego buying backpacks and lunchboxes, but notebooks, highlighters, and pencils will be necessary for learning success. You’ll also want to think about your individual learner’s learning style. Will you need to print the homework sheets and study guides? If so, make sure to grab extra printer ink when you go shopping.

Once you have your supplies, you’ll want to keep them together. This doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. Simple bins from dollar stores will keep colored pencils together, and plastic storage drawers will give you a place to put away notebooks and folders. Beyond the physical supply organization, you should set up digital strategies as well. A spreadsheet to keep account login information, a shared calendar with schedules and due dates, and a cloud storage system to save digital files will be invaluable. There are countless apps and platforms out there that will work, but Google is an easy to use and free solution.

While virtual learning is typically self-paced, this can lead to procrastination without discipline. Make sure you’re creating a daily routine to keep your student on track and prevent them from falling behind and feeling overwhelmed. If you’re working from home, you know how valuable a routine is for your workday. The same applies to your at-home learners. Set wake up times, get them out of their pajamas, and dedicated the same hours to school each day. 

Whether you dedicate a whole room to schooling or a corner in their bedroom, you want to make sure your student has a set learning space. This will help them get into the right mindset for learning and keep their work together in one place. Make sure it’s a place free from distractions, such as younger siblings or the tv, to keep them focused and on track. Remember, there will probably be live video classes. Make sure they have somewhere to go that’s quiet, preferably with a door to help keep the family pet from joining the call.

For many of us, these are new and strange times. It’s easy to feel out of control and overwhelmed. Your student is dealing with all of that and more. Give them back some of that control by involving them in establishing a daily routine or decorating their learning space. Build-in virtual field trips, recess time, and find free elective courses online to expand their horizons. By working together to make the most of the situation, you can turn a stress-filled situation into a great bonding opportunity.

Is your current home just not working for digital learning? Let our agents help you find one that meets your needs.