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How parents can support their K-12 student in online learning

Published April 3, 2020

For many parents, the sudden leap into online learning brought upon by the COVID-19 pandemic may be an additional challenge presented during an already stressful time. Students who were previously receiving their education in-person with a full-time teacher may not be comfortable navigating the applications and software now being used to receive their lessons and complete assignments.

While USF moved into fully online instruction on March 23, there are school districts across the state of 91社区 who are still completing the transition. James Hatten, PhD, an instructor in USF鈥檚 Instructional Technology program, says the development of an online course usually takes a much longer amount of time than school districts were afforded with the pandemic.

鈥淩emember, we鈥檙e just trying to keep education together,鈥� Dr. Hatten says. 鈥淭his is not ideal, but it鈥檚 also phenomenal. What people have been able to put together in two and a half weeks, that should鈥檝e taken a year and a half to be ready and is beyond phenomenal.鈥�

The goal for online learning during current times, he says, is to help students remain engaged academically, so they can retain some of the knowledge they鈥檝e gained throughout the school year.

鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to (keep students on track) so that they don鈥檛 lag in their education,鈥� Dr. Hatten says. 鈥淲hat we learn in education is when you hit summer or any break, there鈥檚 backpedaling that happens.鈥� 

While older students can be reasonably expected to navigate online learning independently, Dr. Hatten says students at younger grade levels will need their parent鈥檚 help in navigating what may be a confusing and unfamiliar platform.

鈥淭he college students鈥攚e鈥檙e expecting them to do it on their own, but a seventh-grade student needs to have their parent guide that and set that up,鈥� Dr. Hatten says. 鈥淚t would be good if they did that together, instead of a parent just imposing that on a kid.鈥�

In his role at USF, Dr. Hatten teaches courses in the , a program that prepares educators to transform learning environments and support student learning in ways that could not be done without technology. Below are some tips Dr. Hatten鈥檚 shares for parents who are currently learning how to best support their child鈥檚 success in a newly created online classroom.

Allow for frequent breaks between lessons

During a normal school day, students receive frequent breaks through activities such as recess and class period changes. Mirroring these breaks at home, Dr. Hatten says, is a key component to making sure a student can focus during their online studies.

鈥淟et them get up,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hey need to move their bodies or take fresh air in or get a snack.鈥�

Creating a rewards system, he says, can also help separate lessons that require long periods of sitting at a desk or in front of screen.  

Create a study schedule that best supports your child鈥檚 needs

There are benefits to online, asynchronous learning and it can be effective for many people, Dr. Hatten says. For example, if a student prefers to sleep-in and get started on schoolwork later in the day, online learning can provide the flexibility for them to do so.

In the online courses he teaches at USF, Dr. Hatten makes the same recommendation for his students. However, with younger learners, this process should be completed collaboratively, by the student and parent together.

鈥淚f you鈥檙e a parent helping your kid setup their schedule, sit down with them and setup that schedule,鈥� he says. 

Supplement virtual field trips with tasks for students to complete

While online experiences such as virtual field trips and tours can be a fun activity for students who are otherwise at home all day, the way to make these work well, Dr. Hatten says, is to have an educational task that鈥檚 involved with it.

Creating meaningful interactions, such as giving a child a list of questions to answer or having them complete an assignment alongside the online activity can help a student pay attention and gain useful knowledge during the experience

鈥淭hat鈥檚 how those virtual field trips have to work,鈥� Dr. Hatten says. 鈥淥therwise, it鈥檚 just a kid clicking, and they may get bored.鈥�

Stay positive鈥攅ven through technical difficulties

While having to quickly learn a new suite of online tools to support your child鈥檚 learning can be a daunting task, Dr. Hatten says maintaining a positive attitude will help your child keep calm through what may be a new and nerve-racking experience.

鈥淵ou need to model calm, positive behavior (while online learning), because it鈥檚 new to them,鈥� Dr. Hatten says. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e worried, they鈥檙e scared and they don鈥檛 know what it is.鈥�

Dr. Hatten emphasizes it鈥檚 important to not assume that just because your child uses technology outside of school for entertainment or social interaction that it means they are fully prepared for the sudden shift into online learning.

鈥淭hey might not know how to do this,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hat doesn鈥檛 mean they won鈥檛 pick it up fast.鈥�

Acknowledge when your student does well and encourage them

While a parent can鈥檛 expect their child to excel at online learning right away, Dr. Hatten says it鈥檚 important to acknowledge when a student is excelling and to positively reinforce their behavior while doing so.

When a student excels at a task, parents should serve as a 鈥減ositive affirmation coach鈥� and encourage their child to continue what they鈥檙e doing. This behavior will create a supportive learning environment that motivates the student and can lead to future success in their studies.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 the biggest thing for parents to remember鈥攖hat there鈥檚 steps to (the learning process), and you can鈥檛 just chew kids out,鈥� Dr. Hatten says. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e just doing their best.鈥�

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Below are some additional resources and virtual field trips recommended by faculty in the USF College of Education:

• (Center for Mental Health Supports and Student Learning Supports at UCLA)
• (Wendy S. Grolnick, Clark University)
• (NYU Langone Health)
• (Learning Liftoff)
• (Learning Liftoff)
• (Learning Liftoff)
• (Learning Liftoff)

Additional At-Home Activities: