How to Engage Resistant Kids in Online Learning

The following content provided by guest authors Jess Durrett and Jennifer Reid. To follow-up and schedule an appointment with them, please visit their website at Down the Road.

In August, we collaborated with learning specialists Jess Durrett and Jennifer Reid to present a webinar featuring specific ideas around supporting resistant kids around online learning (and when I say “resistant kids,” I mean great kids who have resistant moments). The following article offers a summary of the information shared in that webinar.

What Students Need to Thrive

In an ideal world, among other basic things, school is providing students with a combination of grade-level academics and foundational skills, which include things like social-emotional learning and executive functioning skills. In reality, it’s impossible for any school to deliver on teaching all of those skills from a remote setting. Again, even the schools doing everything right are not going to reach every student. 

The real challenge is that students require a certain set of emotional and physical needs to be met before they can even be ready for learning.

The Basic Pillars for Learning

As children develop, there are four main categories for foundational skills: motor development, social emotional development, language development, and cognitive development. 

Children develop at different paces. Some kids might climb walls and run at 11 months without any words, and others might start a monologue at 11 months but never really climb.

Naturally, kids tend to get stronger in the areas where they get the most satisfaction and the least resistance to success. Basically, children (humans) are motivated when they know they can do something well. Wanting to do well is natural; students can appear unmotivated when they don't have the skills or don't know how to start. 

Most academic tasks use every pillar, and the key to unpacking and addressing challenges is to figure out where the breakdown might be (in what pillar) and begin to strengthen that pillar outside of academic assignments.

Take Action

Some examples of activities that can target foundational skills include:

• Heavy lifting: try right before a Zoom class or time when the child needs to focus to help regulate the body. 

• Puzzles and brainteasers: builds stamina for the uncomfortable feeling of not knowing and then successfully solving. 

• Gardening: can help children see long-term progress and it also helps strengthen motor skills. 

• Cooking and baking: support math skills, executive functioning skills (planning, timing, organization).

Physical space:

In addition, it’s important to set students up for success in their physical space, which means students should be working in a dedicated workspace with minimal distractions and have access to supplies as needed.

Establishing routine:

Structurally, students thrive on routine, so keep the same daily routine to ease transitions from one activity to the next. Routine enables kids from move from one activity to the next independently. Do not underestimate the power of routine.

Behavioral & Emotional Support

Be sure to create a safety net for your child if things go off of the rails. This involves a bit of preparation and collaboration in advance of the meltdown. Make plans for what your child can do if a break is needed, if a task feels too hard, or if something has upset them.

• Consider the following questions:

• Does the child wait for a parent check-in, or can he or she seek help as needed?

• Is he on his own with a hard problem forever, or is there something like a plan to try three times before seeking help?

• Is there a place to put work if a child gets stuck on a problem?

• Is there a designated space for breaks?

• How long can a break be?

Classrooms have plans in place for all of these things. Teachers have a plan for what students can do if they need help, and something needs to be in place in remote learning environments. 

In Conclusion

Meltdowns are inevitable, and we have to forgive ourselves when they happen. We can do our best to prevent them from happening but also need to understand that it’s OK. In the meantime, here are some key takeaways from this article:

1) Prepare: take time to think about and prepare the environment with your child. Add targeted foundational skills activities.

2) Pause when challenges arise: don’t go head to head in the heat of the moment. Find a time to talk later.

3) Reflect: schedule time to think about how your child’s “pillars” may impact their learning.

4) Engage: talk to an expert if needed.

5) Forgive yourself. We’re all struggling. It’s OK to struggle.