Distance learning for daycare isn’t anyone’s first choice, but since it’s here, we can only try our best to fit into the new circumstances. While there will definitely be some changes to how daycare takes place, we’re working hard to make sure the transition to online learning is as smooth as possible.
Routine: Finding A Distance Learning Plan
While everything else may seem upside-down, it’s more important than ever to keep your child in a consistent daycare routine, even if they’re not physically at a daycare. Having a schedule to follow helps to keep your child’s day to day as stable as possible, reducing any stress they may have about changing learning environments.
This doesn’t mean you have to stick to a rigid plan that dictates every minute of the day! Regular daycare routines can act as a guide for distance learning daycare routines, meaning that each day should have a varied group of actions to participate in. Quiet story time, arts and crafts, and playing outside are all wonderful developmental activities that you can spread throughout your daycare plan.
Have Patience
Unfortunately, this setup is new for everyone. As you adapt to daycare distance learning, your child’s daily routine is also undergoing many changes. It’s important to recognize that there may be a few hiccups along the way as we all get used to this new normal, but before long the routine will click into place.
Not every child and family will drop into the distance learning schedule at the same speed, so take some time to work out how best to plan your days to best suit your child and your lifestyle. Finding what works for you in the long term will be better than overworking yourself in the short term by trying to do everything before you’re ready.
Managing Screen Time
Distance learning doesn’t mean you’re on your own. Teachers will work to hold virtual classes, music events, and story readings that your child can attend. They’ll also send out activities for you to do throughout the week to keep your child engaged with the current learning units. With the addition of screen time comes the added issue of too much screen time.
Arts and crafts, outdoor play, and offline activities all help to keep your child learning and developing away from electronic devices. This saves screen time for social events and classes, meaning that screen time is well used for seeing friends and interacting with your class teacher. Introducing technology into the distance learning daycare plan can have wonderful effects — if used in the right way.
Letting Your Child Lead
At young ages, children primarily learn through play. They learn about the world around them through trial and error and experimentation, developing fine motor skills as they shift from toy to toy and game to game. In addition to the weekly activities you’ll receive from your child’s teacher, let your child lead you during playtime.
Let them explore the things in their world that fascinate them and use these interests to help grow their understanding of their environment. Encourage their curiosity and take every opportunity to teach them something new. A walk in the park can turn into a wildlife art and crafts day and gives you the opportunity to engage with your child’s development.
Returning To Daycare At Parkland Children’s Academy
Here at Parkland Children’s Academy, we’re working to keep the school environment COVID-safe. Groups are kept small, and cleaning and sanitization are of the utmost importance to us to make sure that your children return to the safest environment possible. If you have any questions about how we’re getting ready for the return to daycare, don’t hesitate to contact us at 954-688-5877.