How To Support Your Little One’s Online Learning – Part 2

Offering Support in Any Way You Can!

Being a parent during the pandemic was tricky, and still is, especially if your little one is participating in an online preschool program; it’s tougher to connect with your little one’s educators, technology is tricky to navigate, and trying to find the work-life balance from home while also being engaged with your little one is no picnic. For that, parents deserve a round of applause! Completing preschool online is a good alternative to in-person learning, and can make learning accessible if you’re hoping to make sure your little one is really safe and healthy, but it does come with a unique set of challenges that have to be navigated. In order to make sure your little one does not suffer learning loss or mental distress, you need to support your little one as both parent and teacher.

Before we get into the types of support you can provide for your little one during online homeschool, it’s important to understand what kind of needs your little one has, especially since the educational needs of your little one are very different than that of older children. In most situations, little ones learn the most by interacting with their peers and teachers — which is a bit tough to navigate with preschool online. The first way in which you can help support your little one’s online preschool experience is to build as many hands-on activities into your daily routine as possible. Reading books out loud, playing with clay or play-dough, drawing, and especially talking to your little one are all amazing ways that you can keep them learning, even if they’re unaware of it at the time. Also, scheduling video calls with their friends, peers or relatives is a good way to keep them socially connected from a distance. Other good ways of supporting their learning needs are to build daily routines, limit too much screen time, set goals with your little one and make sure their online homeschool learning space is distraction-free!

Another tip we can offer is to stay in touch with your little one’s online preschool teachers! Doing preschool online is a big task, and it’s one that nobody could be expected to do alone. Your little one’s teachers are there to help, and there are many things that they can do to help you succeed, too. If you want to see and understand how your little one is progressing in their online homeschool, set up a meeting with their teacher! You and your little one’s educators see two sides of them, and by talking through different learning challenges that occur in and outside of online preschool, your little one’s learning experience will be better tailored to their needs. Also, don’t be too shy to ask about the curriculum — how can you expect to help or understand your little one’s progress if you do not know what is being taught? Stay in touch with your little one’s educator about their goals for your little one, and this will help you help them!

You may feel overwhelmed by the amount of support your little one needs, but it’s important to put yourself in their shoes. As your little one develops, they are feeling so many big emotions, and can feel just as anxious as you. So, one of the best ways you can help your little one to have a positive online homeschool experience is to communicate positively and take care of their mental health! Being a good listener and offering your little one a safe space to feel will help with so much, including stress management and building a strong family bond. So try your best to listen empathetically to your little one, be as positive of a role model at home as you can be, and praise your little one when they are trying their best!

It’s a hard task to be managing your work life and staying involved in your little one’s online homeschool experience simultaneously. However, by implementing some of these tips, you can work with your little one and their teachers to make preschool online a fun and informative experience! Try Our Online Preschool for FREE! Playgarden Prep offers numerous educational videos from real teachers, and numerous DIY projects that support early learning and development for online preschool. (And read Part 1 of this series for even more helpful online homeschool advice!)