As preschools and kindergartens are faced with the challenge of providing learning opportunities at a distance, families are called on to be more involved than ever before, particularly for little learners and children with learning challenges and disabilities.

The tips have been adapted from Dr. Linda Carlings article, that you can find from here. Dr. Linda Carling is an Associate Research Scientist at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education. She specializes in learning engagement and design and is a parent of a child with a disability.

Here are the 10 tips to help children maintain focus and stay engaged during this time of distance learning:

1. How much time should children spend online for learning?

There are some screen time considerations for children based on their age. As a teacher, you should provide some guideline for what is expected. For young children, interaction and play is the most valuable way of learning.

2. What type of activities the children enjoy?

For example, do the children work better with synchronous activities where they respond to a live instructor, or in person sitting one-on-one with their parent, grandparent etc? What learning platforms seems to engage children more than others? The answers to these questions can be valuable for you and to your child’s family to help plan for learning experiences that work best.

Download Child's Individual Curriculum template to learn more about the child's interests and needs.

3. Do children have possibilities to move throughout the day?

Children need to move their bodies frequently throughout the day. Reserve some time for exercise before you plan to start, and children are expected to focus on a distance learning task. Some children can focus on tasks better when standing, holding something in their hands or while sitting on a gym ball.

In a time when children spend more time in front of computers as they need to study from home, ergonomic and correct sitting posture is more important than ever! Follow the guidelines by Alan Hedge (a Professor of Ergonomics in Cornell University NY, USA) from below and ensure that your child uses a computer in a comfortable and ergonomically correct way and avoids any postural problems.

Neutral sitting posture

• Good upper body posture (shoulders back but relaxed—not slumping forward over the keyboard, desk or gadget)
• Back supported by chair (sitting back in chair with back 90° angle and well supported)
• Chair seat should not compress behind the knees
• Feet firmly on a surface for support (floor/footrest)
• Head balanced on neck (not tilted back or too far forwards)
• Knees at an angle 90° (i.e. angle behind the knees should be open—don't sit with legs tucked under the chair)
• Upper arms close to body and relaxed
• Elbow angle 90° (forearm below horizontal)
• Wrists neutral

Organized desk

• Bring all the materials your child is using close by, so that he/she does not have to bend or twist to reach something
• Make sure your child doesn't have to twist her or his head unnecessarily

How Distance Learning works with Kindiedays?

Use of new technology is a prerequisite to implement remote learning and to stay connected with the families.

Using the same secure technology both for in-class learning and remote learning enables a flexible transition from one method to the other whenever needed. This is a great advantage for children’s ongoing learning journey.

Whether the children learn in-class or at home, the teacher should offer all children equal opportunities to learn all the same things.

How Remote Learning with Kindiedays works?

Online sessions

1. Teacher plans circle time / lessons / teacher-led activities as usual
2. Teacher invites the children to the Online session by sending a Kindiedays event invitation to the family. Families can either join or decline.
3. Teacher arranges the Online session via Zoom or Google Meet. The whole family is invited, or parents should at least stay close by to support their children.

Why not incorporate a flying ghost pose into your Halloween this year?

This time of the year children around the world are going to wear funny dresses and celebrate Halloween! The funniest event of the year can be even funnier when you practice real yoga poses with Jamie from Cosmic Kids.

Link to the Halloween Yoga video below and ideas how to make this Yoga Activity into a pedagogically meaningful one!

Every week, millions of kids do yoga and mindfulness sessions on Cosmic Kids’ video in class and at home. Cosmic Kids drives to make yoga and mindfulness fun - so they can enjoy the physical, mental and emotional benefits early. 

Physical, mental and emotional wellbeing surely is vital for children. The better children feel about themselves, the better they also learn, develop and keep going in their lives.

According to the Finnish National Core Curriculum for ECEC, children are naturally curious and eager to learn new things. Learning happens for example when children observe and examine their environment and as they imitate other people. Children should also get possibilities to challenge themselves a little so that learning does not get too boring. Yoga does both – gives children something new and fun to learn by imitating the teacher on the video, and it also challenges children physically.

Learn more about How children learn in Finland?

Start the journey of enhancing overall wellbeing by practicing yoga with this effective and funny Halloween Yoga video by Cosmic Kids. The video shows a wide variety of different (Halloween related) yoga poses for the children, and you, to follow.

You can make the yoga session into a meaningful activity by documenting it pedagogically. Observe how the children are doing and take a video or photo to show them how well they did!

Learn more about Pedagogical documentation...

Also, let children tell their personal opinions about the Halloween Yoga afterwards by answering to these questions:

“Curriculum is an organized framework that delineates the content children are to learn, the processes through which children achieve the identified curricular goals, what teachers do to help children achieve these goals, and the context in which teaching and learning occur.”  

- National Association for the Education of Young Children  (NAEYC)

Center's Curriculum consists of all the information related to the center in one tight package. Center Curriculum is a guideline for the staff in their everyday work, and it also tells a lot of you and your values to the families. Therefore, it is a nice idea to have your Center's Curriculum available for the families too.

It is very important to think how your center operates and what are the core values that everyone should know of. Writing down the curriculum with the staff unites your team and sets everyone on the same page.

When planning, arranging and developing early childhood education and care, the primary goal must always be the overall wellbeing of the children. Children’s interests, wishes and needs guide the teachers work forward.  

I  have prepared a list of questions that guide you when writing down your Center’s Curriculum. Think of the questions in detail, as thinking of the themes ahead makes it all easier when the situation hits you - for example a case when someone is bullied. When your team has a clear practice of how to deal with bullying, families trust your professionalism and most of all children feel secured, valued and happy.

Take a look at the themes to include in your Center’s Curriculum!