{"id":100026,"date":"2020-04-24T08:13:20","date_gmt":"2020-04-24T15:13:20","guid":{"rendered":"\/blogs\/?p=100026"},"modified":"2025-03-25T22:45:19","modified_gmt":"2025-03-26T05:45:19","slug":"school-fromhome-bring-structure-to-your-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/school-fromhome-bring-structure-to-your-day\/","title":{"rendered":"School #FromHome: Bring Structure to Your Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

School #FromHome: Bring Structure to Your Day<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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Whether you\u2019re a few weeks into a school closure or going on a few months now, you\u2019re no doubt helping your school-aged children\u2014and even your college kids<\/a>\u2014settle into a new routine that involves learning from home. Needless to say, it\u2019s an adjustment for everyone as you and your children make the shift. As a parent, you might be feeling responsible for a range of academic responsibilities that go well beyond after-dinner homework help. In light of what we\u2019re all facing, we reached out to a long-time educator for some specific advice about bringing structure to the school day at home.<\/p>\n

While you\u2019re probably accustomed to logging on to your school\u2019s homework and grade-posting platform, what\u2019s likely to be entirely new territory is monitoring regular emails from one to several, staff members, and coaches looping you in to help them make some type of learning happen from home for your children. We\u2019re all a little overwhelmed already.<\/p>\n

\u00a0SCHOOL AT HOME: THE STRUGGLE IS REAL<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Parents told us just that. In our recent survey<\/a>,\u00a0the aspect of this new landscape they struggle with most is setting a routine, and it\u2019s no wonder. The school day is a constant for all of us. It starts and ends at a certain time every day without fail. Bells at the exact same time each day signal the beginning, end, and all points in between including lunch at, you guessed it, the exact same time every day.<\/p>\n

So why doesn\u2019t this structure transfer easily to the home? It\u2019s just a location change, right? School is social\u2014a group effort\u2014and it\u2019s run by adults outside the home who set expectations, from where to be when the bell rings to how many minutes for breaks and lunches. Home is, well, home with its own set of expectations, rules, and freedoms plus a refrigerator and a TV and devices nearby and no bells except a morning alarm clock. Does it even make sense to try to bring the exact same structure to the home learning environment?<\/p>\n

AN OPPORTUNITY TO INDIVIDUALIZE<\/strong><\/h3>\n

What if we saw this abrupt change as an opportunity to do things a different way? For example, school starts early for most high schoolers despite research that indicates later start times work better for teens. If your child doesn\u2019t have a set schedule from the school, then you have the opportunity to set one that just might work better for your family. Students anywhere from late elementary school all the way to senior year can help set their own schedule (contingent upon other factors, of course, like helping with siblings or other family duties).<\/p>\n

In all, setting a rhythm is key. A teenager experiencing a separation from friends is likely spending even more<\/em> time online or on a device as a means to pass the time and connect with others. Their new rhythm might mean later nights and later bedtimes than normal. Letting your high school-aged student sleep in and start the at-home school day in late morning might give you some time to get your own work started and prepare for the day. If you\u2019re sharing computers, printers, or other devices, letting your teenager sleep in makes it a bit easier to allocate time for yourself and others.<\/p>\n

\u00a0HOW YOUR NEW SCHOOL DAY CAN LOOK<\/strong><\/h3>\n

A middle school or high school aged student\u2019s school day might work out better running from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with 15-minute breaks and up to a full hour for lunch. Bottom line: teenagers love freedom and choice. Letting them have some control over the timing of their school day, to the extent possible, may help keep them more engaged and focused. For example, middle schoolers may get as little as five minutes to pass from class to class. Why not offer 15 minutes between at-home classes? Many public schools allow 30 minutes for lunch. Home lunch might be an hour or maybe even a little more. During home lunch, maybe phones are out and kids have free time to eat, check their texts or social media, listen to a podcast or audiobook while they eat or just relax.<\/p>\n

While most adolescents will sleep later given the chance, younger children might still be up early. Starting a learn-from-home-schedule on the earlier side for younger ones might alleviate late mornings spent vying for computer time. There\u2019s no one perfect way to do this. It might work best to start school at 8 a.m. together at the kitchen table and then go about the day as your children do during the normal school year; however, it might work best to let the older kids sleep in while the younger ones enjoy a waffle and an audiobook, allowing you time to have your coffee, catch up on emails, and get ready for the day.<\/p>\n

CREATING A SCHEDULE THAT WORKS<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Khan Academy, the online educational service known best for its video tutorials, has created sample school day structures in direct response to the current school closures for learners in four age groups from preschool through 12th<\/sup> grade. Khan Academy\u2019s Daily Schedules<\/a> start all grade levels at 8 a.m., but older kids could easily adapt the basics of the schedule and start later in the morning.<\/p>\n

In addition to the sample schedule, each age group chart links to grade-appropriate video tutorials in math\u2014something Khan Academy is well known for\u2014along with other opportunities for learning in almost all subject areas. If your child\u2019s school is still in the process of formulating the specifics of its own from-home learning program, Khan Academy has a full day of learning options already mapped out. You might be surprised to see the breadth of offerings and the materials available to assist families during school closures.<\/p>\n

For example, children in grades 3-5 start the day with short, interactive math videos for about 30 minutes followed by play time, ideally outside. Next up is 30 minutes of guided reading followed by silent reading. The rest of the day continues with small segments allotted for writing, grammar, lunch time, and even computer programming. Everything you need to complete the school from home day is available directly on the site or via links.<\/p>\n

Another great resource is Scholastic, the education and publishing company well known for its school book fairs. Like Khan Academy, Scholastic\u2019s newly created Learn From Home<\/a> site also offers some structure to the school day arranged by grade level where you\u2019ll find a wealth of books online plus supplemental videos for kindergarten through grade 9. For example, Week 1 material for a first grader is centered around five days of stories, each with a different focus: animal studies, weather, sound and music, farm life, and healthy bones. Each day\u2019s area of focus offers audio and video stories, read-alongs, and supplemental videos for drawing and spelling\u2014all connected to that day\u2019s theme.<\/p>\n

Both Khan Academy and Scholastic are two reputable sources. Yet there are plenty others, and it\u2019s quite possible you\u2019re seeing plenty of suggested resources–particularly if you\u2019re searching for them online. When consulting these sources, be sure to do some research and make sure they\u2019re reputable as well. Also, consider using browser protection<\/a> that will protect you from any malicious links or malware-ridden downloads. Sad but true, there are those out there who are willing to take advantage of families who\u2019re looking for online education resources during these times.<\/p>\n

FLEXIBILITY IS IMPORTANT<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Teachers are experts at establishing routines, boundaries, and expectations for school work and behaviors. This is part of building the culture of the classroom, and it starts back at the beginning of the school year on day one. It\u2019s no wonder children have a harder time settling into a routine and remaining focused on school at home. It\u2019s not the easiest transfer of skills. In the adult world, for example, if you\u2019re working from home, you may not structure your workday in the same way you would if you were actually at the office. The same applies for the kids.<\/p>\n

SO, HOW DO YOU BEGIN?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Here are a few things you can do:<\/p>\n