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7 Apr 2020
Spotlight

Building Positive Conditions for Learning at Home: Strategies and Resources for Families and Caregivers

Image of mother with young girl reading on bed together

En Español (PDF) >>

As we all adjust to the current situation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important that we create safe, supportive, and engaging spaces for learning at home. Think about these four elements—your readiness and your child’s experience of safety, support, and engagement—like building a house:

As you read through these resources, remember: Every family is different. Everyone’s individual circumstances are different. Everyone brings their unique set of strengths to address life’s challenges. The information we are sharing here is designed to be flexible and adapted in the ways that work best for you.
  • Begin with a solid foundation: make sure that YOU are ready to support your child’s academic, social, and emotional learning. First, take care of yourself and make sure you have the capacity to support your child. You are the foundation and everything you do to take care of yourself will strengthen that foundation.

    How You Can Be Ready to Support Your Child (PDF)
    Cómo estar listos para apoyar a su niño (PDF)

     
  • Next, create a space that is emotionally safe and supportive—just as walls and a roof provide safety and support for a house. Children cannot learn when they are anxious or worried because these emotions trigger the stress response system and that affects working memory, attention, and concentration. Make sure that your child is learning in an emotionally safe space so that your child can tap into the parts of their brain that are responsible for learning.

    How You Can Create an Emotionally Safe Space (PDF)
    Cómo crear un espacio seguro desde el punto de vista emocional (PDF)

     
  • Safety goes hand-in-hand with a supportive atmosphere. This means providing the warmth, empathy, and encouragement your child needs as they learn new things in a new setting (at home). As we get used to all the newness—new settings, new technology (or lack thereof), and new experiences—children need reassurance and they need to know that you are there to help them.

    How You Can Create a Supportive Space for Learning (Part 1: Emotional Support, PDF)
    Cómo crear un espacio que propicie el aprendizaje (Primera parte: Apoyo emocional, PDF)

    How You Can Create a Supportive Space for Learning (Part 2: Learning Support, PDF)

    Cómo crear un espacio que propicie el aprendizaje (Segunda parte: Apoyo en el aprendizaje, PDF)
     
  • Finally, add in the doors and windows that make learning fun because this will help them stay engaged in their learning. Children are wired to learn and explore, and they often do this by being introduced to new and interesting things. As your child adapts to learning at home, you can encourage your child to use their natural curiosity and creativity by helping them be aware of their own world so what they learn is relevant and meaningful to them.

    How You Can Help Your Child Actively Engage in Learning (PDF)
    Cómo ayudarle al niño a participar de manera activa en el aprendizaje (PDF)

Remember that each of these elements are really important when building positive conditions for learning at home. The positive conditions that you create will give your child what he or she needs to succeed. In fact, positive conditions for learning will not only help your child with learning at home right now, it will also help everyone in your home no matter what is going on in the world around us.

In the coming weeks, we will continue to add new information, strategies, things to look for (in other words, what you can expect as normal behavior during these stressful times), and resources that have more information. We will also describe developmental differences to be aware of (for example, what this looks like for a younger child compared to a teenager). This information will help you create safe, supportive, and engaging spaces for learning at home, both now and in the future.

Related Work

22 May 2020
Brief

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Recognizing the Role of Afterschool and Summer Programs and Systems in Reopening and Rebuilding

The need for safety, support, and trusting, reciprocal relationships is especially important as we work to rebuild and return stronger than before COVID-19. This resource describes the role that afterschool and summer programs and systems can play and offers strategies for afterschool and summer programs and school leaders to work together in support of youth, families, and the community.
Topic: 
Education, Afterschool and Expanded Learning, Equity in Education, School Climate and Safety, Social and Emotional Learning, Mental Health, Trauma-Informed Care
2 Apr 2020
Podcast

AIR Informs Episode #3: Creating a Safe, Supportive Learning Environment at Home

In this episode of AIR Informs, David Osher, an AIR vice president and Institute Fellow, explains the science of learning and development, as well as how parents can create a safe, supportive learning environment at home while their children are away from school during the coronavirus pandemic.
Topic: 
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Spotlight

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AIR’s COVID-19 Response and Resources

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. This virus, also known as COVID-19, has dramatically changed the lives of people around the globe, touching all aspects of life, from health care to education to the economy. In this new world of rapidly changing information about the virus, AIR seeks to be a source of evidence-based information that examines and begins to understand the various complexities of this crisis.
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Spotlight

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Young children arm in arm

Building Safe, Engaging, and Equitable Schools

There are no quick fixes or easy solutions to respond to the tragedies that have occurred in schools across the country—but there are evidence-based ways to change school environments so that students and teachers feel safer.
Topic: 
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COVID-19 and Whole Child Efforts: Reopening Update

Several national organizations have offered frameworks and resources for planning for the reopening school buildings closed due to COVID-19. Policymakers and practitioners will need a shared understanding of the common whole child terms and phrases as they plan and work to mobilize student supports. This resource provides definitions for key terms along with an analysis of the inclusion of these terms in the various reopening guidance documents.
Topic: 
Education, Equity in Education, School Climate and Safety, Social and Emotional Learning, Mental Health, Trauma-Informed Care, Youth Development, Youth-Serving Systems
22 May 2020
Brief

interlocking-blocks-rebuilding-after-COVID-1140166411-sm-feat.jpg

Image of interlocking colorful blocks

Recognizing the Role of Afterschool and Summer Programs and Systems in Reopening and Rebuilding

The need for safety, support, and trusting, reciprocal relationships is especially important as we work to rebuild and return stronger than before COVID-19. This resource describes the role that afterschool and summer programs and systems can play and offers strategies for afterschool and summer programs and school leaders to work together in support of youth, families, and the community.
Topic: 
Education, Afterschool and Expanded Learning, Equity in Education, School Climate and Safety, Social and Emotional Learning, Mental Health, Trauma-Informed Care
24 Mar 2020
Toolkit

SEL Online Learning Module: Creating a Well-Rounded Educational Experience

This free online course from AIR was designed as an introduction to social and emotional learning (SEL) for educators who endeavor to create a well-rounded educational experience. This introductory course is designed for all educators to ensure that the whole school community is engaged in the adoption and implementation of sustainable SEL practices.
Topic: 
Education, Social and Emotional Learning

Related Centers

Center

National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE)

The U.S. Department of Education’s National Center on Safe and Supportive Learning Environments provides a range of resources and expertise on emotional and physical safety, bullying, cyberbullying, substance use prevention, crisis response, and building trauma-sensitive schools. AIR has developed several guides and training products to support stakeholders in building and promoting safe and supportive learning environments.

Further Reading

  • AIR Informs Episode #3: Creating a Safe, Supportive Learning Environment at Home
  • AIR’s COVID-19 Response and Resources
  • Meet the Expert: David Osher
  • Chronic Absence: Busting Myths and Helping Educators Develop More Effective Responses
  • Recognizing the Role of Afterschool and Summer Programs and Systems in Reopening and Rebuilding
Share

Contact

David Osher

David Osher

Vice President and Institute Fellow
Image of Jessica Newman

Jessica Newman

Senior Researcher

Topic

Education
Social and Emotional Learning

Acknowledgments

We are grateful for the insightful review and feedback from our partners in the field as we work to develop these resources: Amber Reid (Nevada Department of Education), Tracy Hill (Cleveland Metropolitan School District), Mary Helen Immordino-Yang (University of Southern California Center for Affective Neuroscience, Development, Learning and Education), the National Parent Teacher Association – PTA, the National Urban League, and UnidosUS.

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