The global COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the way that the education system functions in the United States. All states were required to shut down schools for a while, in an attempt to protect children and reduce the spread of the virus. But that didn’t stop the need for children to learn and continue with their school year. Education shifted to an online format, and remarkably, some children thrived. Even in a time of great stress and fear, children have adapted to their new online school environment and its challenges.
Why Does It Matter?
Understanding just how children have adapted to online learning is important, as this method of mainstream education could be the future. There is current uncertainty around how many schools will reopen in the new school year, suggesting that some students may be required to stay home for a little longer. If remote learning is necessary for an extended period of time, a child’s education should not be compromised. Even if schools do reopen, it’s a great way to help your child learn, especially if you find that they are thriving in a remote education environment.
Children Are Learning How to Manage Their Own Time Independently
For many children, the constant routine of school gives them very little flexibility to develop a sense of independence and responsibility. While some students thrive in a school environment that is heavily regulated in regards to its timetables, others do not. For example, many children may be at their most productive in the evenings, not at 9am. They may struggle to focus on a single topic for an hour, or they may feel that an hour is not enough time to learn everything they need to about a subject.
Online learning allows children (especially older high school students) the chance to develop a timetable that works best for them. Perhaps they study better when taking shorter breaks more frequently throughout the day, and quarantine learning allows them to do this. Perhaps they function better if they only get up at 10 am but study until later in the evening. Giving your children the freedom to experiment with what works best for them will yield better educational results and teach them valuable life lessons about independence and time management.
Children Are Developing Better Sleep Schedules
More children are reporting that they are getting the recommended 8 hours of sleep a night now that they are learning online. Thanks to the flexibility of remote learning and the fact that many extracurricular activities have been halted, students don’t need to get up early. They can afford to sleep in for an extra hour and still have enough time in the day to get through all of their studies. Getting the right amount of sleep can improve overall health, and it can also improve the ability to learn and retain information.
Many Children Are Becoming More Focused
Children who are studying online no longer have to deal with distractions from day-to-day school life. There are no peers disrupting a classroom, so children can focus solely on their studies and not their friends. Online learning certainly comes with its own distractions, as not everyone has the opportunity to learn alone at home. But remote education offers the chance for students to work at their own pace. If they don’t understand something, they can work on it for a little longer. If they already know a topic, they can breeze through it swiftly. And if there are distractions, that’s okay, because they can pick up where they left off whenever they are ready. Allowing a child to work at their own pace will enable them to stay focused because they are not left behind or bored.
Remote Learning Is Reducing Feelings of Stress
Online learning has taken away a lot of feelings of stress and anxiety about how children are doing in comparison to their peers. Many children struggle with feelings of inadequacy when they know that they are under performing or not learning as fast as other students. But when children learn online, these comparisons are no longer available. With online learning, children are only striving to better themselves, without worrying about what classmates are doing. This is making children more confident and allows them the freedom to fail and try again without fear.
However, Some Children Are Struggling with a Lack of Social Interaction
Online learning is great.Yet, it certainly has its downsides. Many children are reporting feeling isolated or sad without constant contact with their peers. Children of all ages are used to interacting with others daily, and it can feel incredibly isolating to lose this contact suddenly.
Face-to-face learning also allows children to ask questions and get answers in real-time. Online classroom learning is helpful, but many students don’t have the same chance to get one-on-one help that they might have received in a physical classroom. Teachers are certainly doing their best, but they are also struggling with adapting to online learning, and how to ensure that all children are still getting the education they deserve.
Online Tutoring Can Help with This Issue
The good news is that some resources can help your children overcome this issue. Online tutoring provides students with the social interaction that they are craving and helps them improve their learning. Event though the internet is a fountain of knowledge, it can sometimes be challenging to understand and interpret it. Providing children with a tutor means that they have the chance to talk to someone and ask questions, giving them an opportunity to retain their normal social interaction while still learning.
Smart Labz is a great example of a tutoring service that provides your children with the online educational tools they need to learn, as well as excellent tutors that are engaging and supportive. Your child can learn in a remote environment but still have contact with others. Smart Labz tutoring offers a one-on-one service so that your child’s support is tailored precisely to their needs – our tutors work at their pace, on specific concepts that they need help with.