The American Academy of Pediatrics states, “Schools provide more than just academics to children and adolescents. In addition to reading, writing, and math, students learn social and emotional skills, get exercise, and have access to mental health support and other services that cannot be provided with online learning.”
However, because some students or family members have higher medical risks, online learning is the safest option for them this year. This is the second of "To Your Health’s" two-part series focusing on getting back to school as safely as we can in the time of COVID-19. Today, we will focus on students who are engaging in homeschooling or remote learning.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offer the following suggestions for families engaging in at-home learning:
• Create a schedule with your child and make a commitment to stick with it. Structure and routine can greatly help your child from falling behind with assignments.
• Find a space where you live that’s free of distractions, noise, and clutter for learning and doing homework.
• Discover opportunities for your child to connect with peers and be social—either virtually or in person, while maintaining physical distance.
• Identify ways to add physical activity to your child’s daily routine.
• Watch for and anticipate behavior changes in your child, such as, excessive crying or irritation, excessive worry or sadness, unhealthy eating or sleeping habits,or difficulty concentrating, which may be signs of your child struggling with stress and anxiety.
• Model healthy behaviors yourself.
Resources:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/decision-tool.html
Recorded at home with Eli Hildebrand Clubbs engineering; edited at KRCU Studios by Dan Woods.
