At-home Learning

Parents with school age children who are learning remotely face additional challenges to bandwidth. If you are concerned about the stress your students (or you!) might be feeling, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network offers this guide for coping with and learning during a pandemic from a trauma informed perspective. Similarly, the APA suggests practical tips and theoretical frameworks in their resources, including how to help distracted children and incorporate play into learning.

Along with resources from your school district, you might find these collections of digital tools and engagement ideas useful. A group of writers from the University of Massachusetts Press offer a  “Digital Collections Toolkit”  of exercises, web and mobile applications, and ideas for young authors—or Audible offers free audiobooks for teens and children during the pandemic. Or, attend a virtual trip with National Geographic, the Nature Conservancy, the National Parks, or to the Kennedy Center. At the same time, pressure to offer an intensive learning experience for children can be debilitating and rejecting unrealistic expectations for both parents and children can help remove stress.