Distance learning for many parents and students is a new concept and can be challenging. This year parents will have to be more involved than ever in being a teaching partner. Students will need to stay focused and engaged and parents may need some tools and ideas on how to accomplish this!

Here are some tips and tools from various resources:

1. Synchronous and Asynchronous Learning. Your child鈥檚 school may be providing both a synchronous (real time) learning, in which the student must sign in and attend the online class as scheduled and presented by the teacher; and asynchronous, which includes learning through various resources available to the student on-demand. For some students and parents, it can be helpful to have time scheduled at the same time each day/week for asynchronous schoolwork so it becomes a routine.
2. Calendar. Having a visual calendar and digital calendar is extremely helpful. Download your school鈥檚 calendar. A teacher suggested color coding the classes, e.g., green = geometry, blue = English. Another parent uses the system at work and implemented it at home using a white board and stickies. Have a daily family check-in meeting to establish what the big-ticket items of the day are and a weekly Sunday night check-in to review the week.
3. Transition Times. Children thrive with routine and structure to stay focused. It also provides a sense of comfort and security. Make sure that your child transitions from bed to the study place; getting ready in the morning as if they are preparing to go to school. Breaks are very important too. Observe your child to find out if they need a break from the computer screen. For young children, set up some time for independent play, or encourage some type of movement activity. And according to education theories, having different locations for different classes helps write the information into the brain.
4. Expectations. Check your child鈥檚 courses and assignments, this should be accessible from your child鈥檚 school. Check in periodically to update the calendar or transfer important information. How much time should students spend during online learning? How much interaction is provided during synchronous learning? How does your child typically learn? Communicate with your child鈥檚 teacher about their learning style so that the teacher has clearer understanding and expectations.
5. Stuck? Reach out to the teacher, other parents or students. Set up email alerts for important notifications such as project and assignment due dates. Set your child鈥檚 phone to 鈥淒o Not Disturb鈥� during class time. Break down to-do lists in small steps. Try the . If all else fails, communicate with the teacher and don鈥檛 wait until your child is falling behind!

How do you or your child stay organized? Do you have suggestions?

For additional resources:

Parent Tips and Tricks for Distance Learning:

Photo by Julia M Cameron from Pexels.

My cousin鈥檚 birthday is February 28.聽 I often think that, had she been born one day later, she would be a quarter of her age.聽 Of course, she wouldn鈥檛 really only be 录 of her years, but would only have had a 录 of her birthdays.聽 In doing a bit of research on the subject (thank you, Wiki) it appears there are actually rules about this.聽 Birthdays of people who are born on February 29^th are recognized on February 28^th in non-leap years for purposes of reaching majority.

But this got me to thinking, what other connections could be made about Leap Day / Leap Year?

First, we need to figure out when leap years happen. Leap day, or February 29^th, falls in any year that is divisible by four, EXCEPT for years that are divisible by 100.聽 (But a year divisible by 400 still contains a leap day and is a leap year.)

So, 1900 is not a leap year, but 2000 was.聽 Leap years occur in years ending in the following cycle: 0,4,8,2,6.聽 (e.g. 2020, 2024 2028, 2032, 2036, 2040).

This convoluted system was created in an effort to keep seasons where they are on the calendar, because an actual solar year is 6 hours longer than 365 days. Without the adjustment of a leap day, seasons would eventually shift to occur in different months.

Fun facts:

• I graduated in a leap year, so most of my graduating class turned 18 in a leap year.
• Presidential Elections happen in a leap year.
• In 鈥渢he old days,鈥� the Olympics always fell on a leap year. The Summer and Winter Olympics used to be held in the same year every four years until 1992.聽 While the Summer Olympics are still held in a leap year, the Winter Olympics were moved to be two years after the Summer Olympics and are held every four years since 1994.
• Whatever configuration of days February falls, March and November are the same 鈥� except in leap year. So, if February 1 falls on Monday, then so does March 1 and November 1, but in leap years this goes out the window.
• Whatever day of the week a certain date fell on last year, this year will always be the day after 鈥� unless last year was a leap year. So, March 1 fell on Wednesday in 2017,聽 Thursday in 2018, Friday in 2019鈥� but this year it鈥檚 on Sunday, so that rule isn鈥檛 really helpful.
• There are many 鈥渇amous birthdays, deaths and historic events鈥� that happened on February 29^th, but being a hockey fan, this is my favorite: in 1980,聽Gordie Howe聽of the then聽Hartford Whalers聽made聽NHL聽history when he scored his 800th goal.

One last tidbit:聽 because Chinese New Years cycle through every 12 years, the year of the Rat is always in a leap year. (Unless the year is divisible by 100 but not 400, as per the rules above.)聽 The year of the Dragon and Monkey also occur only in leap years.聽 Or another way to think about it; leap years only occur in the year of the Dragon, Monkey, or Rat.

And, because I love numbers and spreadsheets, here is a chart, just for you!

Happy Leap Day!