Many parents feel that virtual learning will never work for their child, especially after the challenges of “Zoom school” during the COVID-19 pandemic. That time was frustrating for students, parents, and teachers alike, with unclear expectations and limited resources. But now, with the pandemic behind us, many families are more open to giving virtual academic support a second chance. They’ve come to see that not all virtual learning experiences are the same. Many skilled, experienced educators have developed ways to create engaging and meaningful online sessions. Virtual learning can also offer flexibility around scheduling and eliminate travel time—major advantages for busy families or those who live far from specialized instructors.

In this article, we’ll share practical tips parents can use to help set their child up for success when considering virtual learning support.

Before your First Session:

• Speak with your student’s Clinician and share the good stuff!
• Have Zoom or other apps downloaded onto your computer.
• Be sure that your computer will support all of the technical needs during the session. 
• Have all necessary materials in a distraction-free location.
• Be available to support your student during each session.

Getting Set-Up

Virtual sessions are a great way to support your student’s academic needs and can often accommodate more flexible schedules. Whether your child needs one-on-one academic support in a specific subject or educational therapy to focus on broader learning strategies, SFL offers a team of experienced Educational Specialists to meet their needs. In order to have the most success with online sessions, we offer the following suggestions.

Brag About Your Student’s Strengths

Before the first session, you’ll have the opportunity to speak with your student’s Clinician. Take this opportunity to brag about your student! What are they great at? Where do they lose time?  What are their hobbies? This is your opportunity to share what you think is most important for us to know before we meet your student. Talking to you helps our clinicians build a relationship with your student, and the first few sessions are about trust-building, goal-setting, and learning to work together. 

Workspace & Technology Needs

You will need to have the video conferencing software set up on your computer before the first session. Your Clinician will send you the link before your first session. Applications like Zoom support screen sharing and whiteboard capabilities that are used during sessions. We also suggest that someone be available during each session to provide technical support as needed, especially for our younger students. 

We recommend that your student use a computer or a laptop with a camera and a microphone during each SFL session. While it is possible to connect to ZOOM or other video conferencing tools with a tablet, phone, or ChromeBook it is not the best experience and limits the interactive nature of many activities that may be available during each session. 

You might also consider using a document camera, which can help reduce direct screen time by allowing students to interact with physical materials during their sessions. In some cases, we may also recommend that students have their own set of manipulatives or hands-on tools to help boost engagement and support learning.

You will also need a high-speed Internet connection and a quiet, distraction-free location during each session. Preferably, the computer setup will be on a table, rather than on laps or bedroom floors. The table setup enables easier use of a keyboard and mouse for manipulating on-screen features. Some students may find that using a headset with earphones and a microphone helps minimize household distractions during each session.

Work spaces should also include materials needed during each session to minimize distractions from looking for items during scheduled time together. These materials will vary based on your students’ needs but could include lined or graph paper, a small whiteboard and expo markers, index cards, math manipulatives, a composition book, binder, folder, colored pencils, and or pens. Learn more about How to Create a Productive Workspace.

We’re excited to start working with your student, and we hope that these suggestions help your student ease into virtual learning! You can schedule a free consultation to explore whether virtual learning is a good option for your child.

Parent Testimonials on Virtual Learning

I wanted to write to thank Amy and the whole Strategies for Learning team for all the support over the past year, first in person then virtually during the quarantine. I was worried that switching to remote sessions wouldn’t work for my son who is now almost 9 and VERY active and easily distracted. I was even more worried that he would lose momentum with his emerging reading skills…He LOVES meeting with Amy and his reading skills have continued to grow and blossom. Amy has done an amazing job of keeping him engaged in his virtual sessions and he looks forward to every session with her (in fact he would like to meet with her every day!). The virtual sessions have worked so well for us that we plan on continuing to meet over Zoom instead of going back to the office when that is a possibility. Thank you so much for keeping up the amazing work whether it’s online or in person. You “get” our kids and are always such a great support but it means even more during these crazy times. Melissa, Mother of 2nd Grader

[My grandson] really likes working with Tracy; she is very skilled at moving the lessons along just before he loses attention and Tracy has excellent command of the material. She has been very effective in building a relationship with [him], always checking in on how his day has been going and acknowledging his art, which he is very important to him. Grandfather of 5th Grader

I can’t speak highly enough of Stephanie! My daughter is dyslexic and needed someone who can use Orton-Gillingham-based remediation methods. We believe Stephanie was a big part of her success. She is extremely patient, and dependable and tailored everything to my daughter. I’ve been so impressed with her ability to engage my daughter virtually in extremely creative and inventive ways. She makes online activities fun and it blows my mind when I see the things she comes up with to engage her students. This is not like Zoom school, which was not for my daughter. Stephanie doesn’t stick to just one activity but incorporates a variety of activities. I’m very grateful for her and highly recommend her to any student, all children, SPED needs or not. I encourage parents who are hesitant about virtual support to give it a try with Stephanie because this is not like other virtual experiences and not all teachers are equal. I guarantee parents will be impressed! Lisa, Mother of 6th grader

I am so profoundly blown away by the amazing support we are getting from Vanessa Fontana-Berul. I normally wouldn’t take the time to write such an email but this addition to our daughter’s life has been a total blessing. [My daughter] is improving in her writing and organizational skills and has a really strong positive connection to Vanessa. You obviously made a perfect match, but I also notice that Vanessa goes above and beyond more so than anyone we have worked with before. She is such a kind and caring human as well as a wonderful support for our daughter. Thank you so much for making this possible. I am so glad she is part of your team. Michelle, Mother of 3rd Grader

You can learn more about the difference between 1:1 Virtual Learning Vs. “Zoom School”.

Written by Christine Strena, MA, ET