to expect, especially when times are tough. Try to keep routines like homework time, dinnertime, and bedtime. Make a conscious effort to keep the same schedule you had before virtual schooling began.
Finishing the School Year Online 10 Ways to Help Students Stay Strong
By Janeen Lewis
I
t’s an unusual ending to the school year. Instead of yearbook signings, field days, and end-of-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 hard on parents. Here are 10 tips to keep your child on the path to the finish line. 1. 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 your local library’s website to find online access to learning tools and books. 10 SonomaFamilyLife
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 need structure. They like to know what
4. Replace supplies. By now your child’s notebooks, folders, pencils, and crayons probably look worn out. Replacing these inexpensive items and having them delivered to your house can be a quick pick-me-up that motivates your child. 5. Set up an outdoor classroom. Sometimes changing location gives a child that second wind they need to make it to the finish line. Let children have outdoor class time on the patio. When math problems are completed correctly, they can take a walk
Help your child set an academic goal they can achieve during the last weeks of school. or ride bikes. Let them read in a hammock, lawn chair, or an outside tent. When they reach their goal, they can pass the football or shoot hoops. Plant a family garden as a science project, and let the kids make observations when they are taking a break from their schoolwork. 6. Hold an end-of-the-year countdown. There are many ways to count down the days until the end of the school year. Mark off days on a calendar, or put Popsicle sticks or marbles in a jar and remove one each day. Or share
May 2020 www.sonomafamilylife.com
