Supporting Different Learning Levels at Home

School looks a lot different this year and for some, that means learning from home or a hybrid schedule of in-person and virtual. With all the changes, it can be tough to get organized and prepared, especially if you're supporting multiple youth at the same time.

Set everyone up for success by discussing expectations for what your school days will look like.  If you're at home with your kids, block time and schedule activities so that you're supervising one child at a time.  Look for commonalities in each child's curriculum and use those as an opportunity for group learning or for peer mentoring between the kids.

If you're supporting from afar, offer to FaceTime or call your young person at a set time each day/week to share exciting projects and updates.  You can also dust off your pen pal skills and send snail mail each week!  For more tips on supporting youth with different learning levels, check out this article from Popsugar.

Adjusting to this new way forward will take time.  There might be frustrations and mistakes, but keep going and keep learning.  Do your best to be kind, patient and understanding with youth - and with yourself! 

Now, more than ever, it's important that we as adults are there to support our young people.  Check out this op ed we penned for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about the importance of connection during these times!