PRINCIPAL MESSAGE

One of the greatest challenges of the coronavirus crisis is that parents have suddenly been thrust into the role of managing the education of their children from home. What exactly this looks like will depend on your child’s age as well as their individual learning profile. Still, there are a few guidelines and principles that can be helpful for any parent supporting their child’s learning at home.

HOW DO K-2 STUDENTS LEARN?

Kids at this age are remarkably adept at learning. Many kids learn very well from verbal instruction that also includes engaging visual stimuli. Generally speaking, building academic skills during these grades involves:

• Exposure to new material
• Repeated and consistent practice
• Explicit direction about how to use new skills
• Frequent feedback on their work
• Lots of praise!

Youngsters this age are primed to study facts and learn processes that they can rely on as tools for solving problems. They also tend to feel thrilled by their progress, even when it proceeds slowly and steadily. Children in grades K-2 are especially highly attuned to the social environment and they learn through their peers as well as their teachers.

Of course, all children are different. For instance, children with dyslexia, language disorders and attentional conditions may need a more specialised approach to learning. Some children also struggle to sit still while learning, and they learn better through kin-aesthetic activity — standing at the table or walking around the room while listening or talking through an idea. As your child experiments with remote learning, see what you notice about their own unique learning preferences and the techniques that help them focus.

HOW CAN PARENTS BEST SUPPORT K-2 STUDENTS?

For most kids, parents have to be more involved during this time than during later grades. As you decide what works best for you and your family, consider the following tips:

PLAN AHEAD. You don’t need to create rigid schedules, but it can be helpful to plan out the day’s activities, even if it’s just making a few notes the night before. Having even a little information about what to expect during the school day will make life easier for both you and your child.

COLLABORATE WITH TEACHERS. Schools are providing very different levels of service right now, from virtual instruction to the delivery of worksheets. Keep in mind that most teachers have not done this before; they are genuinely trying to figure out how to help kids learn remotely as well. The opportunities for contact with teachers will vary, but when you can, it’s still a good idea to asks teachers for help when necessary, share feedback about the school’s activities, and brainstorm ways to make remote learning work best for your child.

REMEMBER HOW POWERFUL YOUR ATTENTION IS. With young kids, many parents will need to sit next to or across from their children for some of the school day. Focusing your attention on their learning efforts will help them stay deeply involved, and alternating more appealing with less appealing work will help them overcome frustration. If your child knows that reading time might involve cuddling up and listening to you read, or that they get lots of praise from you when they work hard on maths, they could be more motivated. Your positive attention is so rewarding!

SET REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS. Since so many parents are trying to balance competing roles — jobs, childcare, and now teacher/therapist/coach — it is unrealistic to expect children to be engaged in the equivalent of a full day’s worth of traditional education. Remember that whatever you can manage will be helpful to prevent loss of skill and that a big part of your goal is just to provide structure and some semblance of “normal” for them.

BE CREATIVE. Keep in mind that there are plenty of opportunities for kids to learn and develop new skills outside of traditional schoolwork. Helping with chores provides great opportunities for the development of executive functions like planning and problem solving. Cooking is another way to explore mathematical concepts and to practise reading, following directions, planning and organisation, patience and frustration tolerance. Unstructured time is also important for helping children strengthen their creativity, imagination, and self-regulation skills.

MAINTAIN SOCIAL BONDS. Because kids this age learn so much from their peers, setting up online playdates or even drawing pictures to send to friends can be just as important as traditional academic work.

WHAT IS THE BEST SCHEDULE FOR K-2 STUDENTS?

There’s no right answer here — in many cases, whatever you and your family can realistically manage will be enough to meet your child’s needs. That said, this age group can benefit from a structure that roughly replicates the classroom, where daily attention is paid to reading fundamentals, writing, listening and maths skills.

It is important to have a structure for the day at home, even if it is a list of activities that the child can select from. Ideally, each activity should last about 15-25 minutes. If you learn that your child cannot persist for 15 minutes, recognise that and work for shorter time frames — or allow them to work for longer if they can and want to do so. Try seated academic work, but make a few more physical academic tasks, like doing jumping jacks while answering basic maths facts, a scavenger hunt for flashcards with short rhyming words that can be matched, and knocking down bowling pins that have post-its with sight words on them as a reading exercise.

Try seated academic work, but include a few more physical academic tasks too, like jumping jack maths facts or having a scavenger hunt for rhyming words.

A simulated school day at home — including a period each for reading decoding, writing, maths activities and reading comprehension— might look something like this:

• Morning meeting (review the day, date and the activities of the day)
• Seated academic activity
• Brief transition
• More academic work, either as a seated activity or a more physical activity
• Break time and snacks
• Academic activity
• Lunch break with a recess period
• Academic activity
• End of the day

The research has shown that 4 hours is about as long as many students can manage in F-2, but some children may need a shorter day.

Breaks can include activities that may remind kids of structures from school, like watching and singing along to a music video, playing with siblings or pets, and helping parents around the house. These should be brief and not too distracting.

HOW CAN PARENTS HANDLE PUSHBACK FROM K-2 STUDENTS?

If your kids are complaining about doing schoolwork at home, they’re not alone! Right now, complaining or resisting work does not necessarily signal disobedience or defiance. We may need to be more tolerant of our kids saying, “This is boring!” or, “I don’t want to do this now!” They may be right about the work being boring for them — much of what children are learning at this age requires repeated practice. Or it might be too challenging, because it is quite hard to achieve the right level of difficulty for each student.

Remember that in complaining, children may just be giving voice to frustrations all of us have about the challenges of this time. To help them process their feelings and get back on track, you can:

Avoid dismissing their feelings. Instead, try to acknowledge them and let your child know you can talk about them more later. By letting your child know that you care about what they are saying, you can avoid getting into a debate in the moment.

Hear them out. Once work time is over, ask your child to explain what they are upset about, and do your best to listen carefully to their answers. They may have valuable ideas about how to make the school day work better!

Focus on the positive. Even if your child is complaining, you can still focus your attention on what they are doing well. Pointing out their engaged efforts and how much you appreciate them can help your child refocus on the work at hand.

HOW CAN PARENTS HELP K-2 STUDENTS BUILD INDEPENDENCE?

As important as parents’ involvement is, we also want to support children’s independent acquisition of skills and their ability to be active learners.

To build independence, give your child a chance to practice working without your attention. Estimate how long your child can work independently and say, for example, “I want you to do X, and then I’m going to check back in 10 minutes to see how you did.” When they have been successful, let them know and praise them.

When they have not been successful, check in briefly to say, “You are close to being done! I’ll be back in a minute.” Or try asking specific questions: “Did you have any difficulties you want my help with?” or, “What got in your way of finishing?” It’s best to avoid general questions like, “How’s it going, buddy?” because those invite distracting conversations that probably won’t be directly related to getting work done.

When should you step in and help? If your child is genuinely asking for your support, then sit down and provide guidance. However, if they are asking you to get involved in distractions when you are asking them to work, then you can comfortably withdraw attention. Once they resume their productive involvement, return your attention.

Over time, most students this age will be able to gradually handle longer periods of working independently.

HOW DO GRADE 3-6 STUDENTS LEARN?

Students in these grades are building on the academic foundations in reading, writing and mathematics that were laid in K-2. Grade 3-6 students begin exploring and thinking about the world in more abstract ways. They are thinking critically, “reading between the lines,” and applying their basic skills to solve more complex problems. Generally speaking, building more robust academic skills during these grades involves:

• Direct practice of new material
• Experiential learning
• Collaborative learning
• Broader exposure to literature, including chapter books and poetry
• Focused lessons that can lead to deeper understanding of concepts in core subjects
• Increased exposure to the sciences with opportunities for experimentation
• Direct and frequent feedback on work
• Praise and recognition of work done well

A tremendous amount of cognitive growth occurs between the third and sixth grades. Teachers are focused not only on teaching facts but also on fostering higher-level skills and creativity. Students gradually move toward greater independence both in terms of their work habits and their ways of thinking about information and problem-solving. Their growing ability to understand different points of view and to think about abstract ideas allows them to begin using what they know to make interpretations and generate hypotheses.

Some children may show a preference to acquiring facts or may be overly literal as opposed to thinking flexibly and putting facts into the context they belong. It will be helpful to point out to those children how to form connections to other material and to reinforce their efforts to avoid overly rigid thinking.

Of course, all children are different. For instance, children with dyslexia, language disorders and attentional conditions may need a more specialised approach to learning. Some children also struggle to sit still while learning, and they learn better through kin-aesthetic activity —standing at the table or walking around the room while listening or talking through an idea. As your child experiments with remote learning, see what you notice about their own unique learning preferences and the techniques that help them focus. Your child may also be able to tell you what techniques have worked for them in school.

HOW CAN PARENTS BEST SUPPORT GRADE 3-6 STUDENTS?

For most grade 3-6 students, parents still have to be involved in their child’s daily learning, but possibly to a lesser degree as they approach the middle school years. As you decide what works best for you and your family, consider the following tips:

PLAN AHEAD. You don’t need to create rigid schedules, but it can be helpful to plan out the day’s activities in advance, even if it’s just making a few notes the night before. Having even a little information about what to expect during the school day will make life easier for both you and your child.

COLLABORATE WITH TEACHERS. Schools are providing very different levels of service right now, from virtual instruction to the delivery of worksheets. Keep in mind that most teachers have not done this before; they are genuinely trying to figure out how to help kids learn remotely as well. If you can, it’s a good idea to ask teachers for help when necessary and brainstorm ways to make remote learning work best for your child. Also, consider asking the teacher how much you should be checking and correcting your child’s work and clarifying what assignments should take priority. Do not forget to tell teachers about success stories so that those can be shared with the larger community.

USE POSITIVE ATTENTION. Many parents will need to sit near their children for some – but not all – of the school day during this age range. Your focused attention will help them avoid distractions, persist through challenging tasks, and overcome frustration. In working with them, you will also be indirectly teaching them to monitor their own progress towards goals and become more aware of when they need a break, when to alternate appealing and less appealing tasks, and when a certain strategy is not working. Moreover, your positive attention is so rewarding!

SET REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS. Since so many parents are trying to balance competing roles, it is unrealistic to expect children to be engaged in the equivalent of a full day’s worth of traditional education. Remember that whatever you can manage will be helpful to prevent loss of skill, and that a big part of your goal is just to provide structure and some semblance of “normal” for them.

THINK BEYOND TRADITIONAL SCHOOLWORK. Keep in mind that there are also plenty of opportunities for kids to learn and develop new skills outside of traditional schoolwork. Helping with chores and family responsibilities, such as making a grocery list, cleaning, or tending to a sibling provide great opportunities for the development of executive functions like planning, organisation and problem solving. Cooking and helping with the grocery shopping (either online or when it can be done safely in stores) are ways to practice mathematical concepts, following directions, planning and organisation, patience and frustration tolerance. Unstructured time is also important for helping children strengthen their creativity, imagination and self-regulation skills.

MAINTAIN SOCIAL BONDS. In the classroom, children in these grades typically spend a good amount of time working collaboratively with peers. The discussions and interactions that take place in small peer group activities provide rich opportunities for learning. Consider setting up opportunities for your child to work with one or two classmates online or over the phone. Another option is to have students share, edit, review and/or present their work to one another online. In addition, it is important to recognise that students have come to depend on some of their peers and teachers for social-emotional support during the school day. Maintaining those relationships during this time of social distancing is important.

WHAT IS THE BEST SCHEDULE FOR GRADE 3-6 STUDENTS?

There’s no right answer here — it’s important to be realistic about what you and your family can manage. That said, third through sixth graders will benefit from a having a daily schedule that is developed collaboratively with their parents. This schedule can be roughly similar to the structure provided in the classroom. Children at this age tend to know their usual school schedule quite well and will likely enjoy telling their parents about their typical school routines. Their new home schedule may include periods of time when parents are not readily accessible; this can help the child practice waiting, build confidence, and develop independent problem-solving skills.

It’s important to have a structure for the day at home, even if it is simply a list of activities that the child can select from each day. Some teachers may provide or suggest a specific schedule for their students. If not, or if there is time left in the day, there are many academic and physical activities that you can develop on your own or with your child. Ideally, each activity should last about 15-25 minutes for third and fourth graders, and closer to 20-30 minutes for fifth and sixth graders. Adjust time frames if they don’t work for your child, and be creative! A combination of seated academic work and physical activities can make learning fun.

Roughly three to four activity periods each day are ideal, including one each for reading, writing, mathematics and electives/specials (such as Religious Education, a second language or science). Some time for other activities — such as exercise, music and using technology — can make it easier to complete the academic activities.

For parents who are highly involved, a simulated school day at home — including a period each for reading, writing, mathematics and electives/specials — might look something like this:

• Review the schedule for the day, gather materials, neaten workspace
• Seated academic activity
• Brief transition
• More academic work, either as a seated activity or a more physical activity
• Break time and snacks
• Academic activity
• Lunch break with a recess period
• Academic activity
• End of the day

Research has shown that 9:30am – 2pm is about as long as many students can manage, but this may be too much for some children.

Breaks should include opportunities for movement, healthy snacks, playing with siblings or pets, listening to music and singing, colouring or drawing, taking family walks and helping you around the house. Breaks can also include opportunities to engage in break time activities that your child may have used during school, such as watching a YouTube, GoNoodle or Mystery Doug video. These should be brief and not too distracting.

There are numerous academically enriching activities available to help fill in some of your child’s day. For instance, there are pre-planned museum and national park tours, as well as online learning materials (for example, this list of resources from We Are Teachers). The Child Mind Institute’s family resource guide provides a lot of specific sites where you can find both academic and extracurricular material for kids, broken down by age group.

Remember, social development is also an important portion of your child’s day, so scheduling a virtual lunchtime with friends is a great way to help your child feel connected.

HOW CAN PARENTS HANDLE PUSHBACK FROM GRADE 3-6 STUDENTS?

If your kids are complaining about doing schoolwork at home, they’re not alone! Right now, complaining or resisting work does not necessarily signal disobedience or defiance. During this destabilising time, we may need to be more tolerant and show more compassion when children say, “This is hard!” or, “I don’t want to do this now!” They may be right about the work being hard for them — some of what children are expected to do in these grades may be unfamiliar, such as engaging in critical thinking and higher-level reasoning. Or it might be too challenging, because it is quite hard to achieve the right level of difficulty for each student. Also, students, like all of us, may be working through a lot of intense and unfamiliar emotions related to the global crisis and the changes that have been thrust upon them. To help them process their feelings and get back on track, you can:

AVOID DISMISSING THEIR FEELINGS. Instead, try to acknowledge them, show them empathy, and let your child know you can talk about them more later. By letting your child know that you care about what they’re saying, you can avoid getting into a debate in the moment.

HEAR THEM OUT. Once work time is over, ask your child to explain what they’re upset about, and do your best to listen carefully to their answers. They may have valuable ideas about how to make the school day work better!

FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE. Even if your child is complaining, you can still focus your attention on what they’re doing well. Pointing out their engaged efforts and how much you appreciate them can help your child refocus on the work at hand. 

 GOOGLE MEETINGS FOR GRADE 3-6 STUDENTS

One of the successes of Remote Learning has been the capacity of our Grade 3-6 students to meet and participate in a daily Google Meeting with there teacher. These meetings connect students with their teachers and allow a face to face and shared domain with peers. It allows teachers to share and outline the learning tasks for that day and allow kids time to ask questions and gain support.

Theses meetings are not optional and I have asked teachers to make contact and alert parents if children are absent from them. Please find listed below an outline of the protocols for all students to follow when participating in Off Site Remote Learning Google Meetings.

• All students 3-6 are expected to participate in a daily Google meeting with your teacher except when they are rostered onto working at school for Onsite Remote Learning.
• If students are not attending or participating in Google meetings, teachers will contact the parents to ensure that their children are present for these as important learning expectations are shared.
• Students are not to attend Google meetings from their beds, they must be dressed appropriately and set up for their meeting in an appropriate space. Children are expected to be tuned in to the information being shared and not using these meetings as social get togethers.
• Teachers will have a daily catch up with vulnerable students who may be struggling with the learning provided. Teachers will also check in with parents wherever possible.
• Parents we want you to understand that it is ok to participate in off-site remote learning on your time frame. Remote Learning has to be suitable and adaptable to all the different family dynamics. We do not want parents stressing because they can not fit learning into a 9.00am-3.00pm time slot. You do what works best for you.
• Please share any parent feedback with your child's teacher or with any of the schools leadership team on 03 5623 7222. If you are having any issues or concerns please keep us in the loop.

Please remember that we will do our very best to support every student in our care as well as support all our parents through these challenging times.