The Key to Remote Learning: A Structured Schedule

As schools around the world are closing, students and their families are tasked with the challenge of transitioning to online and remote learning. The foundation of successful remote learning is maintaining a consistent schedule. Below is an example of a schedule that can help students be successful during their time at home.

7:30am- Morning Routine
Start the day like you would any other school day—get dressed, eat breakfast, do morning chores, etc. This will help students get in the school mindset while at home.

8:30am- Learning Time
Start the school day by working on school-assigned tasks or other academic activities. If students don’t have school-assigned work, educational workbooks, writing, and reading are all great ways to continue learning while school is closed. Check out your local public library’s digital resources and these learning resources for more ideas.

10:00am- Break and Snack
Keep in mind that kids get breaks at school, so they should get the same breaks at home.

10:30am- Educational Screen Time
Continue working on school-assigned work or engage in educational screen time. There are many educational programs that are available for free, either online or through streaming services. Countless museums, zoos, aquariums, historical landmarks, national parks, and Broadway shows can be accessed virtually. If you subscribe to any streaming services, TV Guide has put together a great list of educational programs available for kids organized by age group.

12:00pm- Lunch
Lunch is a great opportunity to take a break and spend some quality time as a family. Having your kids home all day may have you wishing for extra time in the day, so involve them in household tasks, such as making lunch. Cooking together as a family is fun for kids, and learning how to cook gives them a valuable, life-long skill.

1:00pm- Quiet Time
When everyone is home, things are bound to get a little chaotic at times. Quiet time is beneficial for everyone. For kids, this is a good time to read a book, continue working on school-assigned work or other learning activities, or allow your child to choose what they would like to work on independently. For parents, this is a good time to schedule anything that you need to get done, such as meetings or working on projects that require limited distractions.

2:00pm- Freeplay
It is important for children to stay active. If the weather is nice, take a walk as a family or play outside. If the weather isn’t great or you can’t get outside, be sure to still give your child time to be active.

3:00pm- Learning Time
As the day winds down, spend the last part of the school day finishing any assigned schoolwork or other academic activities. If everything is already completed, children can use this time for a little educational screen time, to read a book, to play an educational game, or to focus on their creative side by working on some art or music.

5:00pm- Family Time/Dinner
The school day is officially over! Even though it may seem like you spent the whole day together, take time to sit down as a family, without distractions, talk about how the day went, make a plan for the following day, enjoy dinner together, and choose a fun activity to do as a family such as playing a board game or a round of cards.

7:00pm- Freetime Before Bed
Finish the day with some freetime to help your kids unwind and relax before doing it all again tomorrow.