Resources for Parents During COVID-19 School Closures

We know this is a challenging time for parents and families who have school-age kids. With schools closed, some for the remainder of the year, families are learning how to support students’ distance learning and be co-partners with their teachers and school staff while also juggling work and other responsibilities. The American Federation of Teachers and AFL-CIO are partnering to provide union families with helpful lessons and tools for preK-12 kids now learning at home and coping with the coronavirus pandemic.

Note: These resources are intended to be a supplement to what your child’s teacher or school has already provided.

AFT Professional Learning Webinars

AFT Professional Learning is here to support you, your colleagues and your families during the COVID-19 pandemic. Join us for these upcoming webinars:

How Parents Can Help Stem a COVID-19 Learning Slide
Thursday, May 7, at 1 p.m. EDT
ACT and the American Federation of Teachers want to help teachers, parents and students navigate learning during the COVID-19 crisis. Are you familiar with the “summer slide” when students tend to lose academic ground? With many states canceling in-school instruction for the rest of the academic year, how do we combat a “COVID-19 learning slide” while keeping the social and emotional health of our youth front and center? Parents! You are key to students' learning in the summer months. Mawi Asgedom, the founder of Mawi Learning, will demonstrate powerful tools—the Can Do and Not Yet Circles—to help you and your children grow continuously. You will learn how to help students expand their Can Do Circle in both academic and personal areas and adopt a growth mindset for future success. Register now.

Preventing Summer Learning Loss: Strategies for Educators, Districts and Parents
Thursday, May 7, at 3:30 p.m. EDT
Summer learning loss is not a new issue, but this year, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, educators and parents alike are concerned about how we can continue to prevent learning loss. This year, school closures amid the pandemic threaten to slow students’ academic progress even more. Now more than ever, it is critical to connect with parents and students in order to continue learning over the summer. During this webinar, the presenters will share actionable strategies and resources to address summer learning loss. You’ll hear from Danielle Mancinelli and Alejandro Gibes de Gac of Springboard Collaborative, Sarah Elwell and Ashley Kearney from the Washington Teachers’ Union, and Rosalind LaRocque from the AFT. Register now.

Helping Children Regulate Emotions During Challenging Times
Thursday, May 21, at 4 p.m. EDT
During these unprecedented times, our students and our own children are experiencing a range of unpleasant emotions, including anxiety, frustration and boredom. As the adults in their lives, it’s crucial that we make space for our children’s feelings and support them in managing those feelings. In this webinar, Marc Brackett, author of Permission to Feel, and director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, will share a four-step process to help adults be emotionally intelligent role models for children and teach them key strategies that support healthy self-regulation. Register now and watch his recent webinar on demand.

Helpful Reminders for Distance Learning

1. Set a routine for your kids, and if you’re a working parent, consider blocking hours out of your work schedule that are focused on learning at home with your kids. In the new COVID-19 environment, the typical 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. job (and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. school day) is no longer the norm.

2. Give your kids time to have breaks for fun, walks outside and playing games. Know that your teachers are there virtually now and will be there in person when the physical school reopens.

3. Create a learning space for your child. Allow a room, or small space in your home, if you can spare it, to be the room for learning. You can reclaim that space at a later date. Remember, you have no guests right now, so there’s no need to worry about your dining room now becoming an at-home classroom. If space is cramped, designate a corner of a room to store and pull out school materials for easy school day setup.

4. Minimize distractions. Don’t let the kids become distracted from their studies to play video games, watch TV or go on social media. While we know you cannot get away from using devices—tablets and computers—right now for online learning programs and classes, be sure you know how to set up parent settings on each device and establish certain hours of access to the non-school distractions.

5. Reach out to your child’s teacher for guidance or ideas to help remove learning barriers. The teacher knows your children and how they learn and misses your kids. Teachers want to hear from you.

—Adapted from Understood’s Distance Learning Tips, blog post date March 17, 2020.

Remember during this time of the pandemic, practice social distancing, avoid gathering in groups, wear gloves and cloth face coverings when going out in public, avoid touching your face, and wash your hands with soap and water after being outside and before eating.

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