Are Parents Making Online Learning Harder?

The transition to virtual school has been a difficult one for many families, especially those with younger children. Parents who are able to be home with their kids have tried to help make things smoother by stepping in to assist their children. While having an adult nearby can be helpful to students, it also may create more difficulties, for both the child and the parent.

The Good 

Learning is an interactive process. No matter how skilled the online teacher is, many children, especially younger students or those with special needs, will be much more successful when they have an adult on hand. 

Beyhan Farhadi, a postdoctoral visitor at York University in Toronto who researches online learning, education policy, and equity notes that, no matter how skilled the teacher is, most younger students are simply not able to manage remote learning on their own.

Dr. Farhadi explains that an adult is necessary to help with everything from getting the child logged on, redirecting them to focus, and solving any technical problems. Younger kids may also need caregivers to get materials and re-explain the tasks.

Lorena Rojas, a Chicago kindergarten teacher, agrees that young children need the reminders to pay attention. She is thankful for parents who can observe such subtleties such as how her students are sitting, how they’re holding their pencil as they erase, and if they’ve inverted their letters. 

The Bad

Online learning is taking a toll on working parents. A study of more than 2,500 parents released in September by FlexJobs, an online job service for those seeking flexible work, found that since March, 40 percent of working parents had to change their job situation. A quarter of those surveyed voluntarily reduced their hours, while 15 percent quit their jobs entirely.

It isn’t just the parents who are struggling. Many teachers are frustrated with having so many adults in their virtual classroom. Funmilola Macaulay, an assistant principal at Horizon Science Academy in Chicago, reluctantly admits that most educators she’s spoken to say that parental involvement has been the worst part of remote learning.

Omari Eccleston-Brown, who has been an online teacher for 8 years, believes that part of the problem is that parents don’t always understand the learning process. He is frustrated by parents who hover too close or give their children answers to questions.

“They tend to assume that if their child isn’t getting the answers straight away, it’s because they can’t understand the platform or they’re distracted by the screen,” he said. “They don’t think that they might just be working it out or, in fact, that they’re learning — confronting something new that they don’t quite know the answer to yet and figuring it out.” 

Finding a Balance

While educators may be uncomfortable with too much parental involvement in online learning, most agree that some help from parents is necessary.

Jamie Candee, C.E.O. of Edmentum, an online learning program based in Bloomington, Minnesota believes that the best way for parents to be involved is to spend time practicing the technology with their children and offer accessible resources for when they get stuck. Candee advises writing down passwords and instructions for students to refer to so that they aren’t as dependent on their caregivers.

Candee also recommends establishing a procedure for getting help that minimizes disruptions. One way to do this is to create set “office hours” when your kids know that you will be checking in on them for non-urgent questions. You can place a sign on your desk signaling when it’s OK to be interrupted by your children’s more urgent questions. 

Some other ways that parents can be helpful in online learning are:

Building a schedule. While the teacher will lead in setting up the classroom schedule, parents can assist by going over the schedule with children and adding in after school activities and family responsibilities.  Keep the schedule displayed in a place that students can easily refer to.

Setting up a workplace.  The right work environment can play a huge role in how successful your child is. While some children need the accountability that a workspace near parents or siblings can provide, others do better alone in a quiet room. Wherever your child is working, make sure that they have easy access to necessary supplies.

Modeling healthy work practices. Working at home with your child can provide a unique opportunity for modeling good work practices.  Talk to your child about upcoming projects and how you intend to manage your own time to complete them.  Let your child see how you allow for healthy breaks in your workday to take care of your mental health and optimize productivity. 

Communicating with teachers. One of the most important ways to support your child is by keeping an open line of communication with their teachers. Make sure that you are aware of what the expectations are for your child and check in for both difficulties and successes. Be aware that online teaching is a new experience for most educators as well, so understand that there may be some glitches, especially in the first few months.  Reaching out proactively and positively will help build a healthy relationship with your child’s teacher.

From her years of experience leading online education, Candee is confident that articulating and establishing these age-appropriate expectations and procedures will help students to develop a routine that allows them to be successful learners without being dependent on constant parental involvement.