How to set up a virtual learning environment for kids at home?

It’s almost 2 years since online learning and online tutoring services have unconsciously become the norm and future of education. Schools are now open for this academic year in the USA. Yet online tutoring services and distance education have become an inevitable part of learning and it seems that online tutoring services and online courses would continue to rule the education world. Though parents, students, and teachers have got used to the virtual model and online classes for over a year now, frustration still prevails particularly because of the amount of distraction that students endure at home. Being in the field of empowering children through in-home and online tutoring services & test preparatory courses for a long time, we have curated a set of strategies to help parents and children in setting up a distraction-free online learning environment at home.

1. Set up a ‘do-not-disturb’ learning space.

Children get distracted easily and endure problems when it comes to performing tasks that seek their attention for long. A study from the University of California shows that an average person takes around 23 minutes to bounce back to work after every interruption. Create a private space away from the hall, kitchen, and other noisy, cluttered areas in the home for online classes. Limit entry and activities that happen in the space to improve focus and productivity. Do not encourage carrying food items, eating snacks, or watching tv in the space. On the whole, work on repurposing this space by adding a table and a chair to create a school environment. You may think about adding toys that your child may hold on to, whenever he/she loses attention and gets restless during online classes.

2. Make sure that the study space has access to natural lights

Good lighting is a salient requirement of the tutoring and online classroom space as they have the ability to amplify energy, lower stress, and elevate the mood. Choose a space that has access to ample lighting. Also, ensure that your child is able to view the screen properly without glare and much strain to the eye. You may think of a space near windows to study during the day and during the night set up a source that is close to natural light and not shining directly into the kids’ eyes.

3. Maintain a constant temperature

If you happen to visit a nearby library or a reading space, you may observe that the temperature is set to be constant. Adverse temperature settings – extreme heat and cold weather conditions tend to impact productivity and focus in children. Ensure that the online classroom study space you create for your child is neither too cold nor too hot. You may also choose to decorate the space with indoor plants.

4. Prepare for the online classes well in advance with all the essential items
Keep a check on the requirements of the children like pens, pencils, scale, erasers, calculators, etc. depending on the type of online class. If it is an art and crafts course or a session, you may require color pens, crayons, scissors, etc. Source them well in advance and place them in a location that is easily accessible by students. Constantly encourage them to keep their space clean. You may consider a vertical study desk to store all the essentials.

5. Place the laptops at the child’s eye level

Encourage children to place the laptop on the table. Do not allow them to place the device on their laps as it may require them to slouch down. This might impact the spinal health of the child in the long term. During online classes, help them position the laptop at the eye level and access the device without straining, rotating, or bending their neck. If needed you may also consider adding an external keyboard or a mouse. If your child endures difficulty in reading the text on the small screen and hunches forward, you may try getting a larger screen for your online tutoring.

Looking for a tutor?

For more tips and tricks, check out our online learning courses. At PowerKid, we offer personalized courses and one-on-one online tutoring service in K-12 subjects – English, Maths, and Science. We also offer homework help in all the subjects. We offer the best tutoring programs – online and in-home and this is backed by the fact that 96% of our students advanced 2 grades in less than 3 months of in-home and online tutoring at Powerkid.