Dr. Jenny Pieratt
Your child’s education
Steps to Meaningful Engagement Part 1 of a two-part series It’s no secret that spring was rough in
terms of education. I think everyone would agree that no one mastered distance learning—the plane was being built as it was flying, so to speak. With a number of possible educational scenarios this fall, the new school year will look different for everyone, depending on school district, family decisions, parent availability and more. But one thing is certain: It is necessary for parents to continue to partner with schools in order to achieve academic success for kids. The best way for families to adapt to what lies ahead and ensure that learning is productive is for parents to continue supporting their child’s education at home. Here are potential challenges, along with steps to meaningful educational engagement.
18 • SanDiegofamily.com • August 2020
Key areas that help me recognize when my children are not engaged in learning: • Attention span. I learned that my kids (ages 9 & 10) have an attention span of about 45 minutes during moderated Zoom sessions and no more than 20 minutes on self-paced assignments. Know your child’s limitations.
for 30 minutes and return to find him staring at a blank screen. Does it seem like it’s taking your child forever to complete an assignment? That’s a big indicator that he’s not engaged, which is understandable when a child isn’t naturally motivated by a particular subject, or there isn’t an authority figure (or other peers) to encourage completion.
• Body language. My son is pretty straight-forward. When he isn’t engaged in schoolwork, it manifests as frustration and then tears. For my daughter, who is a “pleaser,” clues are more subtle. Her eyes gloss over and her shoulders roll forward. Be sure to pay attention to body language.
• Extended silence. Research tells us that learning is social, so when a child is silent, it could mean he isn’t engaged in learning. If kids are unable to answer questions about what they are working on, you know they are “checked out.”
• Extended time on assignments. During distance learning in the spring, I would review assignment directions with my son, walk away
• Working the system. Some app assignments (for example, ST Math or Khan Academy) generate what I call “guess and click”—kids poke
