It is more important than ever to create structure for learning at home. With so many kids in hybrid or remote classrooms, families must establish routines for the school day and homework. However, as so many of us have found, working and schooling from home is easier said than done! Whether kids lose track of time, or get distracted by screen fatigue (or screaming siblings), learning from home is tricky. That’s why Braintrust CEO and Co-Founder, Mara Koffmann, sat down with learning specialist, Kate Hill, to discuss strategies for creating structure for learning at home. Listen to the conversation below, and scroll down for key takeaways.
Key Takeaways
It can be hard for kids to get started with a task.
Learning specialists call this skill “task initiation.” However, children are often able to work with more independence once they get going. That is why it is important to provide support and guidance around getting started. Whether it’s identifying and removing distractions, or creating a schedule with your child, an investment in plans for getting started with a task will lead to better results.
Create Visuals!
Checklists work wonders for children of all ages. Parents can work with younger kids to create checklists with pictures or words to build independence with morning routines or common classroom activities. Parents can also support middle schoolers and high schoolers with this approach as well. They can ask guiding questions such as: What part of this task is hard for you? Why do you think you’re getting stuck? What strategy or adjustment might make this go more smoothly? This will encourage kids to be more reflective and self-aware. Maybe they need to schedule a movement break between classes or assignments. Perhaps they need to take notes during class to listen more actively. No matter the issue, creating a visual reminder or checklist will help to build independence and confidence for any child.
Focus on the process, not the outcome.
Learning happens as kids tackle assignments, not when they receive a grade. That’s why it is so important to highlight and praise the way in which children go about doing their work, and not the score they earn on an assignment. This will not only help to build resilience and a growth mindset, as kids will more clearly see how their effort impacted their final result. It will also help to boost executive function skills as students learn to focus more on how, when, and why to use specific strategies.
Kids should learn to manage a planner.
Children should begin to take responsibility for doing this around 4th, 5th, or 6th grade. It isn’t enough to rely on a school’s LMS (learning management system). Sure these systems help students know what they have to do; however, they don’t actually help kids learn how to plan and manage a schedule. Instead, children should learn to use a checklist to manage their assignments. This helps them learn to think about prioritizing work and planning their time. Kids should also be breaking down long-term tasks into manageable chunks on a weekly or monthly calendar. Paper planners are wonderful, but so are Google Calendar, Google Tasks, and Google Keep given their notification and checklist features.
We often assume that this ability comes naturally to kids. It doesn’t! That’s why it is so important to teach children how to plan and manage their schedule. This includes prioritizing tasks, making estimations for how long a task will take, breaking large assignments into manageable chunks, and using planning tools to manage their time and responsibilities. If you need help with this piece, Braintrust executive function experts like Kate are just a click away!
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