COVID-19 has caused schools to close, sending millions of students home. Since at least 90% of students are now stuck at home due to COVID-19 and learning remotely has brought new challenges to the table. This sudden transition has both teachers and parents worried that students may do poorly. Nearly 90% of parents are concerned that their child may be falling behind academically in remote school, and more than 80% are struggling to keep their children engaged in this new style of learning. Teachers are also taking some of the burden that remote learning is bringing. Teachers are concerned that the overwhelming majority of students will start to fall behind in subjects such as math, science, and, English.

The abrupt switch to remote learning can be smoothed out by using a few tricks. Limiting the number of distractions during times of learning can help your child focus on what they need to do. These distractions can severely impact a student’s learning – a 2015 study found that notifications from a cell phone can interfere with attention, even when the participant did not interact with their device. Finding a new normal by setting a schedule can help you and your child fall into a rhythm that can help prepare you for unexpected circumstances. This new schedule does not even have to be what your schedule was before quarantine, as long as you and your children are able to stick to it. Building your schedule around a type of activity, rather than a specific plan can give an extra bit of flexibility that you could need. Encouraging a sleep schedule for both you and your child can help reduce stress and leave you feeling better, even if this sleep schedule is different than what it would normally be.

Learn about more tips and tech to enhance home learning that can help your child succeed in quarantine here.