Learning Support for Students during School Closures

From The LearnEnglish Teens team

Many students around the world can't go to school at the moment. Here are some tips to help you keep up with your schoolwork.

Top tips for home-learning

1. Plan your day
   Think about how you're going to spend each day. Get up at the same time each day (not too late!) and get showered and dressed as if you were going to go to school. It's important not to stay in your pyjamas all day as you won't feel like studying in your PJs! Make a timetable to plan activities for the day – put 20–30 minutes of English learning into your timetable and see ideas below for activities.
2. Limit screen time
   More time at home will mean for many teenagers that they spend even more time online. Set a limit of time to spend online each day and make sure you switch off tablets and phones a few hours before you go to bed. It's also important to limit the amount of news you read and hear about the virus. You should keep informed, but try not to follow the news all day, every day.
3. Exercise and healthy eating
   Try to take some exercise each day. There are lots of exercise tutorials being shared online that you can do at home, so find one you enjoy and follow the videos that are offered. Try to eat meals at regular times and ensure you eat fresh fruit and vegetables and drink plenty of water.
4. Keep in touch with school friends
   Keeping in touch with your school friends is important but you don't have to be connected every minute of the day! Work out what you think is a good amount of time to be connected to friends.
5. Think of others and help when you can
   This is a difficult time for you, but it's also going to be difficult for the other people in your home. Your parents/carers will be adjusting to changes in their own lives too and will have additional concerns about their jobs etc. We all need to be more patient than ever at this time. If you can, think about others who are less fortunate than you are and if there are ways you can help to support friends and neighbours, then do so. Loads of great ideas are appearing, and people are showing how creativity can really help in unusual situations like this one.
6. Learn something new
   Set yourself a challenge to learn something new. This is the perfect opportunity to learn skills that take time. There are many video tutorials to help you. So improve your typing skills, learn to juggle, learn how to cook – whatever you want, but try to make the most of this extra time.