.svg)
During the pandemic, as the whole world of education shifted online, one complaint rose up:
“It’s so hard to focus on Zoom!”
With anxieties running high, work-study spaces thrown together, and lesson plans rewritten on the fly, it would have been shocking to hear anything to the contrary.
But now that full-time online learning has become a regular part of the education landscape, let’s examine this perception — analyzing why a child might be zoning out during their online courses and how you can help them regain their concentration.
To start, let’s get rid of a common misconception that there is something inherently distracting about online classes. Online students aren’t at any greater risk of distraction than their in-person counterparts. In fact, arguably you can do more to control the online experience than at a brick-and-mortar school, where other students, the daily schedule, and the hustle-bustle of the environment is an unknown variable.
Of course, online learning presents its own challenges, especially if you don’t have a private room (with a door!) exclusive for schoolwork. You might have loud neighbors, needy pets, or a tv remote control that always finds its way into your child’s hands. Without the physical presence of the teacher and peers, it can be easy to let your imagination run wild and have no one be the wiser.
That said, if your child is ready to learn and you’ve chosen a high-caliber online school, all it takes is a few conscientious tweaks to their mindset, the environment and their daily routine to set them up for an engaging educational experience.
If getting your child to focus on their online classes seems like a Herculean challenge, there are three areas to examine:
Distraction can be caused by infinite factors, including:
There may also be personality traits at play: A shy child might keep bouncing up out of their chair as a way to metabolize the discomfort of being on camera. Similarly, they may have learning preferences that aren’t being met, leading them to feel disconnected from their online school. (See our series on visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners.)
Many of these factors can intersect with, and/or mask, one another, so it can take time to get to the root cause. After you talk to a trusted medical provider to see if there are any psychological or neurological factors contributing to their distraction, you can dig deeper to understand whether there’s something about the subject matter or the teaching that doesn’t resonate with your child: Are they having a hard time staying focused in one specific subject? Does a type of assignment or activity inspire them to turn cartwheels down the hall? Do they do better when they are engaged in synchronous activities versus independent learning?
Honing in on these nuances will help you determine whether you need to check in with their teachers about academic accommodations and/or optimize the home learning environment.
All online classes aren’t created equally. If you’re sitting through a large, open-enrollment lecture, it can be hard to avoid competing temptations, like social media or napping. That’s true whether you’re in-person or online.
Online learning can be a deeply engaging experience, but it needs to meet several criteria: First, it needs to be student-centered, which means that the student’s interests are front and center, not just trotted out for show and tell. It’s much harder to start procrastinating when you’re being invited to explore your true passion than when you’re being asked to memorize a never-ending lecture.
Second, their schoolwork needs to be hands-on (we use the project based learning approach at Prisma), so that students are rolling up their sleeves, not staring off into space.
Third, it needs to be connected to a community — including dedicated, accessible instructors and a stable cohort of peers — so that learners feel accountability and commitment.
If your online learner is experiencing personal issues or if the classes are not well-designed, even the best curated environment won’t get your child to engage. But by the same token, without some attention to external distractions, you’re unlikely to make the most of online education.
Environment is deeply personal: Some people focus well with the background noise of a coffee shop (and there are “coffee shop soundtracks” to prove it!), while others need the hushed environment of a library.
As you design a dedicated study space, you’ll need to give some thought to your child’s needs — and your families: If their study area is in their bedroom or a common area, or if other members of the family are working/learning from home, it’s particularly important to build in rituals to transition between school time and family time, whether it’s tidying their workspace, turning on different lighting, or playing music.
Designing the environment can — and should — be trial and error. Run through a school day and note what kinds of distractions pop up. Then, after the day is over, sit down with them and brainstorm what solutions might make most sense. If they are constantly leaping up to get a glass of water from the kitchen, have them prep their study area with a full bottle the night before. If the 11:00am lawnmower gets them flustered, try noise-cancelling headphones or a relaxing Spotify playlist.
Remember, it’s a process. Their process. The more involved they can be in proposing and enacting the solution, the better.
Be realistic in what you define as “focus.” Nobody of any age should sit still for eight hours, staring at a screen. Make regular, short breaks from study time a part of your child’s day. Even a two-minute break for stretching or jumping jacks can help get the wiggles out. (The Pomodoro method starts with a five-minute break every 30 minutes, but for young and/or neurodivergent children you might need to work up to that goal.)
Is your child a morning person? Do they do their best thinking while in motion? Are they happiest reading when curled up with their pet? One of the benefits of online schooling is that your child can take control of their preferences from an early age, and use them to deepen their learning experience.
Our coaches help families develop strategies based on the motivations and needs of each learner and their families, building up some structure by designing a schedule and a task list that aligns with it. Our high school students take the reigns in this area, as they learn to master the art of time management through a specific life skills class.
Set aside time and collaborate with your child on a daily and weekly schedule that works for them, getting their input and feedback at every step. Their schedule will be a work in progress. It’s not about getting it “right.” Plan to adapt as necessary.
As we mentioned above, rituals can help transition in and out of the school day, telling the brain it’s time to focus on learning — and getting the body on board. At Prisma we encourage the formation of good habits by starting every workshop with a set of rituals: we remind learners to take care of (and move!) their bodies, logging out of distracting apps, turning off notifications, and be present at their workspace.
As you design your family rituals, we recommend including things like a daily check-in, to make sure they’re physically, emotionally and psychologically ready to learn; as well as a tech-check, to see that everything useful is working and everything distracting is not.
When learners feel connected to others and invested in a shared outcome, they’re less likely to be tempted to play just one more game of Tetris or scroll through one more tiktok post. There’s a lot to be said for group accountability: As we watch our cohorts bond over workshops and peer feedback on their projects, all culminating in a community presentation of their work on Expo day, their distractions melt away. (At least that’s what the parents tell us).
If regular, small group activities aren’t built into your child’s school, encourage them to reach out to their classmates and form an online study group.
From national parks to beach vacations, design an in-the-field learning experience the whole family will enjoy
Online learning takes many forms. Decide why you want to go remote — and the rest will fall into place.
Here’s how parents of ADHD children can set themselves up for successful learning at home.
From early childhood through high school, homeschooling provides the ideal setting to facilitate a gifted child’s learning. Here’s how.
And how can you support them in the classroom?
From fostering a love of learning to developing problem-solving skills, child-initiated learning is a pillar of a successful homeschooling journey. Here’s how to get started.
Focus on number sense and you’ll help your child add math skills to their toolkit.
Combine fun with a pinch of self-discipline, and you’ll be well on your way to a wellness routine your child wants to follow.
Kids need to develop their own world as they mature. But the stereotype of the zip-lipped pre-teen doesn’t have to be your reality.
It’s not easy to juggle full-time work and homeschooling — but it is possible. Here’s what we’ve learned about how to thrive.
Learning languages opens doors, offers connections and inspires new ways of thinking. Here’s some advice about which one(s) to pick.
Critical thinking matters for academics, work and relationships. Here’s how to lay the foundations at home.
Read about the hands-on learning opportunities one Prisma high schooler tackled in the Secrets of the Biosphere theme
Creative thinking is the key to problem-solving. Here’s how to foster creativity at home.
Traditional four-year college is only one option. Here’s how to inform your decision.
The Montessori approach focuses on early childhood. Here’s how the popular pedagogical method can lend itself to home-based learning for all ages.
Here’s what parents need to know about the popular social media network.
Here’s what every parent should know about facilitating a routine that works for the whole family.
Hands-on learning benefits all students. Here’s how to incorporate it into your homeschooling.
There’s no evidence to confirm the validity of these popular labels. But here’s how auditory learning strategies can benefit everyone.
Although no studies link these popular labels to academic achievement, here’s how visual learning helps everyone.
Here’s what parents need to know about the free, popular chat app.
Incorporate these reading tips into your routine, and you’ll be on your way to fostering a love of reading in your child.
Ready to Deck the Halls? Here are projects to engage kids of all ages—and tackle your seasonal shopping with DIY keepsakes.
More than just asking questions in the classroom, the Socratic Method helps learners test their own ideas in a real-life context.
Here are some guidelines to help sift through the infinite options.
When students set the conditions of their learning experience, they show more creativity, passion and sticktuitiveness.
With built-in lesson plans, educational tools, and endless problem-solving opportunities, Minecraft: Education Edition can help motivate kids in coding, science, language arts, and more.
Get into the spirit of gratitude with these easy Thanksgiving crafts for kids.
Teach children gratitude and they’ll experience better mental health, well being and social connection.
8 tips to ensure learning disabilities don’t get in the way of building reading skills.
Why does your child dread Mondays? Once you know, take these steps to help them (re)discover their spark.
To stop bullying behavior, educate yourselves and your children.
Bullying is about a power dynamic between peers. To interrupt it, first understand why it happens.
Children’s Mental Health is in Crisis. Here’s How to Help Develop Your Child’s Self-Esteem.
To reach their high potential, twice-exceptional children benefit from a flexible learning environment.
The holiday season is the time to get your hands dirty with these Halloween craft ideas - candy corn optional.
Dyslexic kids often lose their love of learning. Here’s how parents can help them rediscover it.
The challenges of adolescence can be magnified for LGBTQ kids. Here’s how to help them thrive.
From bullying to finding a safe bathroom, LGBTQ students navigate a tough landscape at school.
What we know about the relationship between ‘hard fun’ and learning. (Hint: It’s not about playing games in between worksheets.)
Here’s what we mean by ‘success’ at Prisma - and how we use it to help kids thrive.
What parents need to know about socialization in—and out of—the classroom to help your homeschooler thrive.
Child entrepreneurship is trending. Here are three steps to developing an innovative business that stands out from the crowd.
A hands-on approach to develop real-world skills, resiliency and a love of learning — here’s how we practice it at Prisma.
A Shared Name and Diverse Strengths Led Two Bens to Build an AI Writing Business.
When traditional public school isn’t the best option, consider these alternatives.
Five ways parents can help their kids see themselves as a work in progress.
Gifted kids face unique challenges when it comes to burnout. Here’s how parents can help.
For travel-hungry families dreaming of school vacation, there’s much to celebrate about shifts in the way we live, work and educate our children.
To create a customized education for your child takes more than a checklist. This three-stage framework can help you get started.
If you’re homeschool-curious, here’s what 100 families have to say about the biggest advantages and disadvantages of homeschooling.
With homeschooling, the sky’s the limit – and there’s a lot on your plate. Learn about how to make this growing trend work for your family.
Learning how to use the internet safely, smartly, and creatively is one of the most essential skills for success in our hyper-connected world. Prisma learners just wrapped up their Cyber Citizens learning
A live learning platform purpose-built for kids. It's a new, fun and engaging way for kids to learn and collaborate together virtually.
Technology has completely revolutionized how we shop, communicate, entertain ourselves, and even how we work, but no such revolution has happened in education.
We’ve officially wrapped up our first ever fall session at Prisma and are excited to share our learnings and observations with you.
Claire Cummings is one of our new Learning Coaches joining us for Winter Session starting in January 2021. Claire is based in Detroit, Michigan!
In our Meet the Team blog series, you’ll get to read more about the innovative thinkers behind Prisma.Next up is Leena Williams, the Founding Learning Coach for Prisma based in Tampa, Florida.
Starting today, families can apply to join Prisma from anywhere in the USA. Here’s how it will work. You can still apply to any of our five founding cohort hubs (Chicago, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, or Tampa) if you live nearby.
In our Meet the Team blog series, you’ll get to read more about the innovative thinkers behind Prisma. Next up is Emily Veno, one of two founding learning experience designers for Prisma.
Over the past week, as millions of parents have realized that traditional in-person schooling may not be safe or available come September, a new twist on an old phenomenon has emerged.
We're kicking off a "Meet the team" blog series. First up is Kristen Shroff, one of two Founding Learning Experience Designers at Prisma. As a Learning Experience Designer, Kristen has been working on dreaming up the Prisma calendar and schedule, developing the curriculum for Knowledge and Worldview Badges, and hiring our first group of learning coaches.
We're excited to announce the rollout of Prisma cohorts in 5 US cities: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Tampa and Salt Lake City.
We’re Prisma, and today we’re announcing the world’s first Connected Learning Network, a whole new category in education. We’re not a school in the conventional sense; we’re a locally-rooted, globally connected at-home learning network that gives kids the tools to live their optimal life, starting today.
First-time Poet Wins “Games for Change Student Challenge” with “Poem of PvZ”.
