Module 2:
Creating an At-Home Learning System/Schedule
Get Oriented
“A schedule defends from chaos and whim. It is a net for catching days.”
~ Annie Dillard
Now more than ever, parents/caregivers need structure to help children stay organized. Creating a schedule and healthy routines can energize and provide peace and purpose during this time of remote learning. We will consider:
Why students do best with a predictable routine and learning schedule;
How to design an age appropriate schedule for your child; and
How boundaries, rules and expectations can help your child be a successful learner.
Each module in this series encourages you to customize your experience to what you personally need. Pick and choose what best applies to you, your context, your comfort level, and the learners in your care.
2. Read & View
“Trying to raise a responsible, cooperative child without age-appropriate boundaries is like trying to raise a goldfish outside its fishbowl.”
~ Marianne Neifert, M.d.
Kids need routines. Structure reduces anxiety and gives students a sense of control and predictability. It teaches them self-management and fills the day with positive activities, helping them feel confident and purposeful. parents/caregivers will find learning at home is more successful with structure and O.R.D.E.R.
In distance learning, we can intentionally plan for creating an at-home learning system. parents/caregivers who prioritize structure and ORDER ask:
O: How do I OPTIMIZE best work times and spaces?
R: How do I REACH for goals with an organized plan?
D: How can I DEVELOP structure to encourage independence?
E: How can I ENERGIZE with breaks and a motivation system?
R: How can I RESTRUCTURE for a fresh approach?
The resources below offer insights on creating structure and routines.
The resources listed here invite choice. Read and view what seems most applicable to your learning and your practice. Just click on the buttons to visit the article sites and view the short videos
READ IT
Routines give kids a sense of security and help them develop self-discipline by Dr. Laura Markham
A Daily Schedule for Kids, According to Age by Alexia Dellner
Routines and Supplemental Activities by Katharine Hill
8 Tips for Working From Home With Kids During COVID-19 by Carrie MacMillan
VIEW IT
Create a Daily Schedule
Keeping a Routine
Why Routines are Needed
3. Reflect
Module reflections are self-directed opportunities to synthesize what you've explored and to consider your own practice. These are fast journal entries to invite new thinking and to inspire action steps.
“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” - Stephen Covey
Boundaries make kids feel safe. Developing a healthy routine and predictable schedule should be every parent’s priority.
In quick bullet points, respond to the following prompts:
Do I understand why routines are important?
Do I have ideas for a variety of ways to create a schedule for my child?
Do I have tools for creating and communicating healthy boundaries and expectations at home?
Read over your quick responses. Where do you see room to grow? What is one way you want to improve in the upcoming week?
The “Practice” section that follows offers strategies and ideas to try out. Does one align to your reflection?
4. Practice
Exploring this module with other parents/caregivers? Consider collaborating on one of the practice activities below and share feedback to one another on your experiences.
The following exercises are short action steps that offer you optional resources and activities to support your work creating an at home schedule. Consider trying one (or more!) out this week to enhance your practice. To reveal the instruction, click on the “TRY THIS” title(s) that interest you.
+ TRY THIS: Clearly Define Family Expectations
Yoda said it best: “Do or do not. There is no try.” Kids need to understand what is expected of them: what to do, and not do. Take time to reevaluate boundaries and rules you have put in place to help your family function at its best.
From the CDC: “Family rules help children understand what behaviors are okay and not okay. As children grow, they will be in places where they have to follow rules. Following rules at home can help children learn to follow rules in other places.” Creating Structure and Rules.
When communicating rules, always start with Empathy: Teaching Kids About Boundaries.
Activity: Focus on what you want your family to DO by Creating a Family Charter. Use this article Family Charter: shared goals, shared feelings | Parenting and the pdf below as a guide.
“The Family Charter starts off with 3 Simple Questions:
- How do you want to feel at home as a family?
- What can we each do in order to have those feelings more often?
- How will we handle conflicts when they arise?”
Create a Family Charter at Home (PDF)
+ TRY THIS: Check Your Own Expectations: Know Your Kid
Creating structure and boundaries for your child without really considering who they are as a unique individual is like trying to grow a garden without care and consideration for what each plant needs to grow and thrive.
Take some time to outline your child’s strengths and weaknesses when it comes to learning, behavior, physical, emotional and social needs. Look through the lens of your child’s uniqueness when you consider what the experts have to say about structuring the environment at home.
Consider these 3 As:
Attention Span: (Info and tips specific for ADHD but helpful for all) “A normal attention span is 3 to 5 minutes per year of a child's age. Therefore, a 2-year-old should be able to concentrate on a particular task for at least 6 minutes, and a child entering kindergarten should be able to concentrate for at least 15 minutes.” Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): How to Help Your Child from Summit Medical Group
Appropriate Screen Time: “Consider applying the same rules to your child's real and virtual environments. In both, play with your child, teach kindness, be involved, and know your child's friends and what your child does with them. Also, keep in mind that the quality of the media your child is exposed to is more important than the type of technology or amount of time spent.” Screen time and children: How to guide your child from the Mayo Clinic
Age-Specific Developmental Milestones: “Growth and development includes not only the physical changes that will occur from infancy to adolescence, but also some of the changes in emotions, personality, behavior, thinking and speech that children develop as they begin to understand and interact with the world around them.” Child Development Guide: Ages and Stages from Children’s Hospital of Orange County
+ TRY THIS: Make Sure YOU Have a Routine
If you are going to have the energy to help your child stay organized, make sure you are taking care of your own mental health and well-being with a personal routine.
The Power of Routines in Your Mental Health “Routines can be incorporated seamlessly into your daily life in different levels or aspects: on a personal level, a relationship level, and/or a professional level.”
Morning Habits, Jump-Start Your Brain For Success “What you do to start your day determines how the rest of your day will look like.”
How parents/caregivers Can Take Time for Themselves During Quarantine “Here are eight ways to stay sane by carving out space for yourself during this difficult—and, thankfully, temporary—time.”
+ TRY THIS: Routine Review Checklist
As you create structure for learning at home, ask yourself these core questions:
Did I:
Start by coordinating within the framework or timetable set by my child’s classroom teacher.
Consider my child’s unique temperament and motivation language.
Bring the family together to set up and clearly communicate expectations and create goals.
Put together a plan for self-care.
Check out sample schedules and put in a little creative effort:
15 Best Daily Schedules for Kids - Visual Calendars for 2020
Sample Schedules For Kids Home From School During Coronavirus Outbreak
Learning at Home Tips for Creating a Daily Schedule for Kids
5. Dive Deeper
If you have time and interest, explore these optional resources for creating an at-home learning system/schedule.
Working and Learning from Home During the COVID-19 Outbreak
Goal Setting for Students, Kids, & Teens (Incl. Worksheets & Templates)
Use This Sample Schedule With Kids with ADHD / ADD
5 Things parents/caregivers Can Do to Support Students Learning Online
A Parent Guide: Support Your Child During Virtual Learning
6. Review
Self checks for understanding help your students take agency for their progress and next steps. They provide affirmation that they are on the right track or insights to the questions they need to ask.
Self-checks are for understanding, helping your child take agency for their progress and next steps. They provide affirmation that they are on the right track or insights to the questions they need to ask. Take a moment to consider your own affirmations and questions:
Did you consider the way students do best with routines?
Did you identify part of your parenting that can be improved in relation to creating and communicating your plan for structure?
Thank you for all you are doing to support your child’s learning.
NEXT: Feel free to move ahead to Module 3 when you are ready.
Copyright Notice
This content was created by Jeff Utecht Consulting Inc. in partnership with the Association of Educational Service Districts of Washington (AESD) It was created to be used by educators and organizations to support students. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Which means. you can use it and adapt it to fit your own organizational needs. We just ask that you please give credit back to the original work, that you not charge for your adapted work and that your new work is also free to others to use as we all are in this to support students.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.