With the current state of things, many children have moved to online learning. This has left many parents feeling like they are unable to teach their kids. Add to this the fact that children don’t seem to be learning and everyone can be frustrated. So how do you handle all of the learning? I have some tips on how to help kids learn for you. Whether you are doing a school appointed learning program, pod schooling, or homeschooling, these tips are sure to help. 

How to Help Kids Learn

Many of these are concepts that are meant to come alongside what children are already learning. While schools may be offering virtual learning methods, it may not be the easiest for some children to work with. These tips are meant to help you help your children learn and thrive. Not everyone is meant to homeschool and that is completely ok. You can still help your child thrive. 

Index

Teaching a child to read 
Learning Basic Math Concepts
Struggling with upper-level Math 
Lack of desire to learn
Supplementing special classes like art

Teaching a child to read

Teaching a child to read can be so so annoying! I know some parents will say it’s the best experience of their lives. I salute you. For us, it was a massive learning curve as I had to teach a child with dyslexia to read. If you are currently homeschooling or working with a child who is learning to read, this doesn’t have to defeat you. Here are some tips to help you with teaching a child to read. 

Take advantage of online learning sites

We are HUGE fans of starfall.com for early phonics learning. Head to the main site, go to Kindergarten and then click on the ABC icon. It will take you to some really fun phonics lessons for kids to help them learn each letter’s sound. We started out with these when they were young. It helped them to sound things out a lot better when word building. 

Take advantage of hands-on learning 

Many times parents will sit down with a book and say “C-A-T, CAT” and then their children will imitate them. Then the next day, they don’t remember and C-A-T becomes a dog or monkey or something. Here’s the thing. Sometimes you have to change it up a bit. Here a few ways to use hands-on learning with learning to read. 

• Build words out of playdoh. 
• Use foam letters in the bath. 
• Let them write words in shaving cream on a cookie sheet.
• Build words out of dried beans. 

Don’t rush the process

It can be so important to understand that not every child will learn to read at the same speed. If your child is struggling with a concept, it may not be laziness. Some learning concepts such as reading are developmental. If your child is trying their best, meet them where they are and let them build confidence and get stronger at what they are good at before moving them forward. 

Learning Basic Math Concepts

Basic math concepts like addition and subtraction can be frustrating for younger children to learn remotely. Add to it the fact that each school will teach it in a different way and kids can get downright frustrated. The nice thing is, there are some simple ways to work on basic math concepts. 

Get hands-on

Using items like cars, candy, or legos to build out a math problem can help a more tactile learner to understand the math concept. Sometimes kids need the ability to see a math problem in order to understand it. 

• Build an addition or subtraction problem with different colored legos. – This will help a child to see the math problem. 
• Use m&m’s or crackers. – Kids will better understand if they have 3 crackers and you add 4 more that they now have 7 because they can see them and count them. 
• Use toy cars or another favorite small toy. – Sometimes using a small toy your child likes will help them to understand a concept better. 

Take advantage of YouTube videos for rote memory 

Videos like the one above are great for practicing items like skip counting. These videos helped my son to master his skip counting when other methods didn’t work well. 

Upper-level math struggles

For every parent, there is a limit to their math abilities. For me, that happened when my daughter started Geometry. My brain can’t remember all of the different formulas and equations for Geometry. Are you reaching the limit of your math education? There are some simple tips to help you get through it. 

Take advantage of YouTube

If you are struggling with something your kids have to work on, YouTube can be your best friend. There are countless math teachers there teaching students different ways to solve the same math problems. If you are struggling to understand a concept, look to YouTube to help your child and yourself out. 

Take advantage of math help apps

There are some fantastic apps out there that will let you scan a math problem in and talk you through the solution. These can be a fantastic tool if your child is really struggling. 

Lack of desire to learn

Do your kids just hate the way that things are being done? When you are struggling with a lack of desire, there can be a few things going on. Here are some things to try and ways to help you work through this and motivate them. 

• Is it a learning struggle? – Sometimes kids will have no desire because they are feeling defeated. Take some time to look at the material and see if they are struggling to learn. 
• Are they bored with the material? – The material can sometimes be boring as all get out. Take some time to find ways to help them engage better with the material at hand. My son used to draw the lessons as they were being taught. 
• Don’t be afraid to contact the teacher. – If everything you are trying isn’t working, reach out to the teacher of the class. Sometimes they will have tips to help you get your child focused that you might not have considered. 

Supplementing Special Classes

Classes like art can fall by the wayside when core subjects are the focus. While they may not be necessary courses, they can still be important to some children. So how do you make these classes a priority while balancing everything else your kids have to do? This can be where switching things up can be a big help. 

Try using YouTube for specials! 
Art YouTube Channels for Kids
Science YouTube Channels for Kids

Take advantage of sites like Outschool

Sites like Outschool offer classes in a variety of topics that are sure to be fun for kids who are learning from home! 

Science experiments and science lessons can be so much fun for kids. However, all science channels on YouTube are not created equal. It’s important to find channels that keep things appropriate as well as safe. There are some fantastic scientists on YouTube so I decide to put together a list for you. Check out these YouTube science channels for kids. 

Science YouTube Channels for Kids

Science Max

Science Max is a huge favorite of my son’s. His teacher actually uses these videos in class. With episodes as much as 45 minutes long, this is a great way to get kids interested in science in a fun way. 

Sick Science

Sick Science is a channel featuring Steve Spangler. Many of these videos will have experiments that can be done by children. Even better, a lot of them use supplies that you already have in the house. 

SciShow Kids

This channel is a great channel for kids who ask why and how a lot! With multiple videos sharing why and how things work, this can be a great way to answer their questions without having to know all the answers. 

Mark Rober

Mark Rober does a variety of short and longer videos filled with science explanations kids are sure to love. With topics like does a fart make you weigh less, he captures the attention of the child and keeps them interested. 

Crash Course Kids

Crash Course Kids has short videos touching on different scientific concepts. These short videos are packed with information and give children simple projects they can work on. 

Mr. DeMaio

Mr. DeMaio is a fantastic channel filled with facts and information about Science. His videos are filled with engaging content to keep kids laughing while they are learning. Talk about a win-win. 

Fun Science for Kids

Fun Science for Kids is a child run YouTube channel that offers a variety of science videos for kids. Each video has some fun elements of science and entertainment from the perspective of a child. 

Kids Fun Science

Kids Fun Science has more of a made at home video feel to it. However, the actual content is fantastic! You are sure to find some great tips and tricks for experiments you can do with items already in the home. The dancing spaghetti one above is a great example of an experiment you could probably do now. 

The Science Kid

The Science kid has adorable science experiments that she shares with kids. Some of these look like they would be a lot of fun. Even better, kids can feel like it’s something they can do when they see another child doing it. 

Science Channel

Science Channel has a lot of great how it’s made videos. If you are looking for a fun thing to show the kids about the how and why behind something, this is a great video.