Home activities and parents strategies during COVID-19 pandemic:
In 2020, the Corona pandemic was classified as a global disaster that affected the
economy, health, and education sectors. Many developments in the education sector have
been rearranged, and many priorities have been considered to face the circumstances
imposed by this pandemic.
Children have lost the process of social interaction, which is essential and vital for
educational development and improved children's response (Bhamani et al., 2020). The
routine of online lessons has become difficult for parents, especially those who work via
the Internet at home, because they will have to ensure their children's education (Bhamani
et al., 2020).
A parent survey of pre-school home learning activities for Spring 2020 during the
Corona pandemic was developed by the National Institute for Early Education Research
(NIEER) to understand the degree to which COVID-19 has affected young children's
learning experiences (Barnett et al., 2021). This survey was to study: " (1) Children have
home learning activities during the pandemic; (2) Children's participation in preschool
and program closure; And (3) services received by children and parents to support
distance learning when nurseries closed classroom operations due to the pandemic"
(Barnett et al., 202, p.110).
The survey results indicated that there is evidence indicating a decrease in most of
the activities that parents practice with their children (Barnett et al., 2021). The results
also indicated that parents were unable to fill the gaps that resulted from the closing of
pre-school classrooms, and there was a significant decline in home learning activities.
These results lead to an increase in lost learning opportunities (Barnett et al., 2021).
On the other hand, many parents tried to develop their skills in technology and learning
through the Internet, and these parents were more effective in establishing the appropriate
educational routine at home (Dai & Lin, 2020).
These parents provided wonderful cooperation that was reflected in the
performance of their children, as they participated in the implementation of simple
activities and games and the implementation of some simple manual artworks (Dai &
Lin, 2020). Many parents have also used electronic books and audiobooks to participate
in the education of their children (Dai & Lin, 2020).
Several studies have shown that parents have adapted quickly and addressed the
learning gap that appeared when the pandemic occurred (Bhamani et al., 2020). This is a
result of what academics have done to support learning at home, and to provide a set of
freeways through the Internet to support parents and facilitate the learning process at
home (Bhamani et al., 2020).
In this paper, we want to discuss how we can provide families with the skills,
confidence, and resources needed to implement a hands-on learning experience at home?
What strategies will help parents and children overcome the difficulties they may face in
managing and implementing work and receiving instructions through the screen?
Parents need to develop and support social and emotional skills, so the role of the
family must be always linked to increases supportive family bonding activities between
parents and children (Dai & Lin, 2020). One of the most effective strategies is to train
parents to maintain a strict schedule, and this means designing a schedule that defines the
tasks the children must do, and this will help increase production capacity and reduce
their level of anxiety (Bhamani et al., 2020). Parents can also take to support children in
the homeschooling period is to engage in various creative activities (Bhamani et al.,
2020).
Parents can undertake a variety of activities that support the education and
development of children in all areas. These activities could be arts, cooking, handicrafts,
dancing, and singing (Bhamani et al., 2020). Children and parents may be enrolled in
online courses to gain interpersonal and cognitive skills (Dai & Lin, 2020). Parents and
their children can also make remote communication with relatives and friends to support
social bonding (Dai & Lin, 2020).
Guidance for parents through the online education system will support the
improvement of bonds between children and their parents. When parents and children
cooperate in implementing learning activities, the bond between parents and children will
increase as they spend more time together (Wang et al., 2020). There will be a decrease
in anxiety levels and parents will be a source of comfort for the children because of the
engagement and the conversations together (Wang et al., 2020). Parent counseling
programs will investigate the development of independent learning in children and a
sense of responsibility towards oneself (Wang et al., 2020).
Reference:
Bhamani, S., Makhdoom, A. Z., Bharuchi, V., Ali, N., Kaleem, S., & Ahmed, D. (2020).
Home learning in times of COVID: Experiences of parents. Journal of Education
and Educational Development, 7(1), 9-26.
Barnett, W. S., Grafwallner, R., & Weisenfeld, G. G. (2021). Corona pandemic in the
United States shapes new normal for young children and their families. European
Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 29(1), 109-124.
Wang, G., Zhang, Y., Zhao, J., Zhang, J., & Jiang, F. (2020). Mitigate the effects of
home confinement on children during the COVID-19 outbreak. The Lancet,
395(10228), 945-947.
Dai, D., & Lin, G. (2020). Online home study plan for postponed 2020 spring semester
during the COVID-19 epidemic: A case study of tangquan middle school in
Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China. Best Evidence in Chinese Education, 4(2), 543-
547.
