Keeping Homebound K-8 Students Learning with Online Tutoring

Right now, all of us are taking things day by day, hour by hour. With the coronavirus pandemic being far from over, many schools have already decided to close through the end of the school year. One thing is safe to assume: children will be learning at home for a while. And while remote/online school works for some children, it might be less ideal for others. The biggest concern many parents have: loss of learning.

What can you do to ensure your child continues learning while homebound? Offer him or her customized online tutoring. Here are some of the benefits of supplementing children’s school work with an online tutoring program of instruction:

• Online tutoring will help children adapt. Very little about the way children are learning right now is completely familiar and comfortable. And for students who were struggling with one or more subjects already, learning on the computer creates frustration. Teachers are doing their best to deliver a great education to their students and adjust to this new method of instruction, but there will be bumps in the road. The more you can ease this transition—especially when you are busy working from home and trying to manage the household at the same time—the better for your child.
• Children will learn what they need to finish the school year strong. There is no doubt that online learning makes it more difficult than ever for teachers to differentiate their instruction. It’s important that your child has what he or she needs to successfully complete the grade. Skill gaps take effort to close, and tutoring can help.
• Learners will be prepared for next school year. There are plenty of challenges with the current online learning arrangement for students, but a big one is that many will fall behind. Supplemental tutoring will meet your child where he or she is and ensure your child isn’t missing essential skills for next year. At the end of the school year, teachers usually focus their efforts on preparing students for what is to come. This year, they’re in maintenance mode for obvious reasons. Tutoring will identify your child’s weaknesses and offer your child a plan to improve them quickly.
• Children will improve their skills in tricky subjects. If children were getting low grades in any subjects before the coronavirus outbreak caused schools to close their doors, they’re still dealing with those issues now. Focusing on strengthening your child’s sense of responsibility, specific subject-matter knowledge and study skills will benefit your child while he or she is learning remotely—and in the future.
• Tutoring puts this time to good use. If there is one thing everyone has more of right now, it is free time. By no means should children sit in front of computers all day long studying, but the hours of the online school day are significantly shorter than a normal school day. With a little extra effort and a customized program of instruction, you could actually help your child make gains during this time.

Augmenting what teachers are doing in the virtual classroom is a great way to make sure your child learns the content needed for the rest of this year—and next school year. Individualized instruction, even a little a day, will help your child mitigate learning loss, build skills and confidence, and feel optimistic about the future.

There’s a lot on parents’ plates right now: helping children navigate online school, making sure they are dealing with stress and anxiety in a healthy way, working, cooking, cleaning and more. Lighten your load by signing your child up for an online tutoring program. Huntington’s online instruction is available now. Visit www.huntingtonhelps.com or call 1-800 CAN LEARN for more information.