Is Online Teaching Effective For Younger Children?

When children are young, parents are told by pediatricians that they’ll hit their milestones in their own time. Your child learns to sit up, crawl, walk, and talk at their own pace – and no two children are alike. So what about when it comes to schooling?

Up until recently, students haven’t had a lot of choices in terms of learning. Over the last few years, however, there’s been an online teaching boom that has only continued to grow. Still, many parents may not be sure if their young child can benefit.  

Is online teaching effective for younger children? There are several ways a young child can benefit from online teaching. Here are a few of the advantages – a few of which may surprise you!

Student-Led Learning
Every child is different. That doesn’t just apply to their favorite toy or personality traits, but also the pace at which they learn. Online teaching is an effective tool for younger children because it allows them to learn at their own pace.

In traditional preschools and schools, children are taught in a one-size-fits-all fashion. They are expected to learn the same lessons at the same pace as their peers, completing their classwork at the same rate and in the same way as well. For many children, this simply doesn’t work.

Sometimes a child can whiz right through a topic, while others may need to spend some extra time. By utilizing the tools of online teaching, a child can embrace an individualized learning plan that fits their unique needs while also helping them to blossom and grow academically.

Encourages Participation
Sometimes children, especially younger children, can feel shy in a classroom full of other kids. This diminishes their participation in active learning in a group. However, an online teaching environment is one-on-one. Students don’t have to worry about other kids or what they may think. They are free to share their ideas and participate, which can lay the groundwork going forward for more participation when they do find themselves in a classroom setting. It helps to build confidence in their own ideas and thoughts as they approach new ideas and learn the material in their own way.

For some students, learning in a classroom setting can be scary and maybe even threatening. That hurts their participation and ultimately their learning. With online teaching, tools can be used that limit the aspects of learning that children may find intimidating, providing a safe space for ideas to help your little one grow.

Unique Tools
Let’s face it: the world is turning more and more toward technology, and if you don’t learn how to use it from a young age, you’re at a disadvantage. Online teaching utilizes unique tools that may simply not be found in a traditional classroom setting. Online teachers use videos, interactive graphics, and other media to inspire students and help them learn.

These tools are designed to help children, even young children, understand concepts in a multitude of areas. Technology is a part of everyday life, and ensuring your child is harnessing that technology to build a foundation for their learning future is vital to helping them move forward and stay up to date.

Provides Flexibility
Since you have small children, you probably know that while routines are important, rigidity in those routines without any flexibility is not plausible. With kids, you have to expect the unexpected and make sure to give them the space they sometimes need – which should be applied to their learning, too.

Flexibility in education is key to helping younger students learn effectively and really grasp new concepts. If they have to go back to a foundational concept again later, online teaching allows for that. In a classroom setting, chances are the class will simply move on without them, and time will not be allotted for them to go back if needed. That isn’t a concern with online teaching – one way that online teaching outshines traditional learning for younger children.

Fewer Distractions
Part of the challenge for learning when it comes to younger children is their attention span. In traditional learning environments, class sizes only continue to increase, which can provide a lot of distractions for little ones.

Yet another way that online teaching excels is in its ability to help a child focus on what they’re learning. By reducing distractions, keeping children in an environment that is comfortable and engaging, and making learning fun, online teachers can really help younger children to learn effectively.

You can take this one step further at home by ensuring your student is in a quiet, comfortable place where they won’t be distracted during their online teaching sessions. You may be amazed by how much your child absorbs in a small amount of time this way.

Many parents want to provide their children with a solid educational foundation on which to build their life. In today’s tech-forward world, you have options that weren’t even available a decade ago when it comes to effective learning strategies for your child. Embrace them and see how your child thrives with online teaching.

Featured image by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash