Lower School At-Home Learning Guide
Schedule and Guidance for At-Home Learning Experiences
Please take some time to review this guide to setting yourself up for success during our days of virtual learning. Students need predictability in these uncertain times, and it is up to parents and your IC Imagine family to provide this. We know that some of you are not accustomed to dedicating time and space for working on academics at home, so we’ve included some helpful strategies and resources that have been provided by our teachers, administrators, and mental health experts to help you create a healthy learning environment.
Supporting Your Student at Home
In situations like this one, students crave structure and predictability. Consider creating an easy to follow schedule. It can be very simple, but kids NEED a plan. Think through your own priorities and needs and construct a simple daily schedule that you can post visibly for your kids. It is absolutely fine if you can’t replicate anything close to your child’s current school schedule because there is no need to do that, just give them something they can depend on so that they have a structure in their mind of what they can expect. This will alleviate stress for everyone and help the day go much more smoothly.
Set up a functional workspace.
It’s important to create a space where your student where they can do their work. For those students that don’t already have a designated space, consider the following:
- Designate a space in your home that is just for working.
- Your student having good light and a decent amount of space to spread their materials out is very important.
- Everyone thrives at different times, so find the time that your student will do your best work and try to commit to that time each day.
- Getting dressed for the day can help motivate you, encourage your student to get dressed before they begin to work each day.
- Put the distractions aside to allow your student to focus on work, as possible.
Establish routine
Experts all emphasize the importance of setting up a routine for your family. These routines should include learning activities, physical activities, and recreational activities. Many of our students seem to be more productive during the morning/early afternoon hours. If this works well for your student, continue to work on your assignments during this time. If it is not the best time of day for your student, and you have the ability to do so, consider moving your student’s work time to a time of day when you feel they can be more productive.
Get outside and move
It is imperative for students to get outside for movement activities each day. Vitamin D and physical activity will boost the immune system, help reduce stress, and increase focus. Coach Kearns will be providing weekly activities for you to work on each week.
Limit screen time and monitor activity
This is tough to do in a virtual learning environment. We are asking for a maximum of 3.5 hours of engagement each day. The plan for Lower School is that students will use the daily assignments from their teachers and Google Classroom to access the day’s assignments and then work on things that do not require a screen.
It can be easy to use technology to battle boredom by watching movies and surfing the internet, but it will be helpful for students to try to find other activities that will occupy their time. Please pay attention to how much time your child spends in front of a screen, it is healthy to limit and monitor additional screen time.
Don’t forget about your child’s Social- Emotional Learning
The Lower School Counselors are sharing weekly activities for your student to engage with. Access these from your daily emails (K-2), or encourage your student to check them out in Google Classroom!
Daily Schedule
Create a schedule that includes your daily routine. Here is a sample schedule. We understand each family’s circumstances are different, so set up a daily or weekly schedule that works for your family and prioritize activities that allow you to remain engaged with your academics. Classes should only require approximately 30 minutes of time each day. Since you are working with a young child, expect that some activities will require adult (or older sibling) support. Allow some flexibility within your daily schedule in these situations.
| Schedule | Activity |
| 9:00 | All classes have assignments posted. Look through them and begin working on assignments, one course at a time |
| 9:00 – 9:30 | ELA |
| 9:30 – 10:00 | Math |
| 10:00 – 10:30 | Movement Break/ Snack |
| 10:30 – 11:00 | Science/ Social Studies |
| 11:00 – 11:30 | Investment activity for the day |
| 11:30 – 12:00 | Lunch/ Break |
| 12:00 – 12:30 | Additional optional activities shared by your student’s teacher |
| 12:30 – 1:30 | Movement/ Outside Time |