Quality over Quantity in Home Education

“Aim for more focused short periods of time rather than the long but getting nowhere waste of time” (Catherine S. Tamis-LeMonda, srcd.org).

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The average third graders attention span is anywhere from ten to thirty minutes. Because of this, it is important to incorporate regular breaks into at-home learning. It is much more beneficial for a child to work hard for ten minutes straight rather than work for thirty minutes but get easily distracted. If the child works hard for a shorter period of time, then he or she will get more accomplished than if the child were to distractedly work for a longer period of time. This then will increase the odds that the child will develop a sense of industry because he or she will accomplish more academically. Parents cannot expect their children to sit in front of a computer screen for hours learning, as their attention spans are not yet equipped for something like this. Many of the breaks incorporated into a child’s day should include some form of physical activity, even if it is just going for a walk around the block with one of his or her parents. This physical activity can help ease any frustration that the children may feel due to the new at-home learning style. 

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One way in which parents can take advantage of at-home learning is by trying to make connections between the material the child is learning and real life. This can look like baking cookies with children in order to teach them about mathematical measurements. It can also look like incorporating video clips and documentaries to enforce a lesson. This can help children develop a sense of industry by being able to see connections between what they are learning and practical, real life tasks.