EDUCATION by Janeen Lewsi
Ending the School Year Virtually
Ten Ways to Help Your Child Finish Strong It’s an unusual ending to the school year. Instead of year-end book signings, field days and endof-the-year parties, kids are at home waiting to catch glimpses of their friends on Zoom. It’s a tough time for kids, and keeping them motivated to finish the school year strong is difficult for parents. Here are 10 tips to keep your child on the path to the finish line.
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Send the message that school is a priority. Communicate to children that school is important, even if it isn’t occurring at the school building. Continue to read together, check in with them on their assignments, and take an interest in what they are learning. Research one of their school topics or check out the library digitally to find online access to learning tools and books.
2.
Set a goal. Help your child set an academic goal they can achieve during the last weeks of school. Maybe they want to turn a B into an A, learn all their multiplication tables or read a thousand pages. If they meet their
goal, reward them with something simple like ice cream or a new school supply or book.
3.
Stay on Schedule. Kids crave structure and need to know what to expect, especially when times are tough. Try to keep routines like homework time, dinner time, and bed time as unchanged as possible. Make a conscious effort to keep the same schedule you had before virtual schooling began.
4.
Replace supplies. By now your child’s notebooks, folders, pencils and crayons probably look worn out. Replacing these is inexpensive and having them delivered to your house MONTEREY BAY PARENT • May 2020
