⛹️♀️ How to be the best learning coach for your kids
Tips and best practices for how to tackle this new learning facilitator role that all parents have been given this year.
👋 Intro:
School is in session, and it’s nothing like we’ve seen before. Whether you’ve got a preschooler or a highschooler, you are more involved in your child’s education than you’ve ever imagined, or let’s be honest, wanted. We can’t be a parent and a teacher (not to mention a partner, a worker, a person) at the same time, but our understanding and support can make this all go a teeny bit smoother.
Today we tackle the things you can do to step into the role of learning facilitator as effectively as possible.
🤓 Learning Coach 101:
Know what to expect: Kid brains are growing and changing and just can’t focus like ours do (or used to). Even if schools ask for more than what’s reasonable, we are the true experts on our kids and what they can handle based on their age and particular temperament.
It’s good to remember that kids are built for “focused learning blocks of three to 10 minutes at a time for children in grades K through 2; 10 to 15 minutes for grades 3 to 5 and 30 minutes for grades 6 to 12. That might not sound like enough to give you a good break, but it’s why you’ll see them zone out or act out once they’re asked to do more.” Depending on your particular child, achieving this might be easier or more difficult.Now cut those expectations in half! You are probably well aware, but these are not normal times. This is not homeschooling or distance learning, it is making do in a crisis. In any crisis, even a long-term one, our minds and emotions are just not able to handle a normal load. Know that your kids might lose skills they had before (But you learned multiplication last year! I’ve seen you tie your shoes!) or just have days where they have to shut down. This is normal and to be expected, and you’ve probably noticed it in yourself these past months. When Plan A is not happening, take a breath and go to Plan B.
Always have a Plan B: Any teacher will tell you that they’ve got a “back-up” folder of activities for emergencies - substitutes, heat waves, tech mishaps. When your child gets overwhelmed with their tasks for the day, doesn’t know what to do, or experiences glitches, they should have a go-to spot, online or IRL, where they can find activities for “learning downtime.”
Build a relationship with your child’s teachers. The quality of teacher-student relationships is huge for learning and motivation. But this year, it will be harder for teachers to know each child personally, and for children to communicate with teachers when they need help or connection. Coach your child on how to stay in frequent contact with their teachers - asking questions, sharing thoughts, going to any office hours for extra support. It’s worth the extra effort, even with young children, rather than doing it yourself.
Be your child’s executive. The “executive functioning skills” don’t peak until after adolescence, and kids of all ages struggle with these softer, but essential learning skills, like planning, time management, and impulse control. Teachers do a lot to coach kids in executive functions and take some of them over. For young kids, this is more about emotional regulation. For older kids, you will need to help with keeping their schedule, managing assignments and materials, etc.
✨ Your Options
Here are three quick ways to get started in supporting your kiddo’s learning:
Create teacher communication sentence frames for/with your child: Ask your child’s teachers when and how is best to get in touch with them. Then coach your child on how to stay in regular communication (rather than taking this job over). You can make fill-in-the-blanks for your child, in a word doc or on a post it, for common questions to ask. For example “Can you please help me understand how to _________?” or “I can’t get ________ to work, can you please help?” If writing isn’t their thing, encourage your child to send short videos asking questions or making more intimate comments on what they’re learning.
Get your “Plan B” spot up and running: Make a list of educational-ish things your kid can do when they just need down time - online or in-person games, activity books, exercise, quiet play, or the all-time teacher go-to, reading (or listening to audio or video stories). Post this list in a visible place and add to as you find new things. Or create a Bookmarks folder with sites they can go to any time when they are overwhelmed with school work. For younger kids, build a folder, box, or bin with activity pages, books, etc so they are easy to find independently. For some kids, this might be as simple as a favorite book that lives in one spot.
Create quick-reference visuals for learning: Using a white board or sheets of paper, work with your child to spell out clearly common routines or expectations. Post these in very visible places near their workstation. For example, make a list of “Expected behavior for online learning” based on their teacher’s expectations and your own. 1. Have camera on except for quick breaks (under a minute). 2. Wear day time clothes 3. Only come into parent’s office if the door is open. Or “Daily Assignment Check” listing the sites or platforms they need to check each day, where to record what’s due, a 5-minute assignment check-in with a parent.
🧰 The Tools
For your Plan B activities, here are some suggestions:
Digital:
Storyline Online has tons of free video read alouds from well-known actors
Epic, a digital library featuring 40,000 children’s books - free for 30 days
Starfall, an educational website and app for children in pre-K through third grade
Subscribe to Scholastic’s Learn At Home Resources for $6 a month
Tons of educational videos for kids at TedEd or Crash Course Kids