More and more parents and guardians are choosing to arrange online lessons for their children.
We know as parents and guardians you want to make sure that their children get the most out of any online lessons This is our essential guide for you.
It can be hard to know the best approach to take when it comes to online lessons. As experts in this, we’re here to make it easy for you in 3 simple steps.
Step 1. Before the online lesson
It is usual for students to feel nervous about starting something new.
Unfortunately, there is a chance that they will not be keen to work on their handwriting because they are basing this on past experiences. They probably will not believe that it can be fun. Our job is to take away this fear as quickly as possible.
It is a good idea to show them the welcome letter/email sent to them before the online lesson. This is found in a weblink inside the confirmation of payment email. It ensures that they see us as ‘people who can help’ rather than ‘strangers’. Here your child can learn a little more about us, such as our favourite foods and our lives away from online teaching. This way, they are going to feel a lot more comfortable and relaxed for our first lesson together.
We always send an appointment reminder via email and/or text 3 days, 1 day and 1 hour before we start. So there is no need to fear you will miss your time slot.
Read more about our team here
Our aim is always to make sure that your child sees our online lessons as fun rather than a chore.
The lessons that we deliver are always about having fun and we play lots of games. But we do not like to reveal any answers to quiz questions until they are written down.
However, do feel rest assured that your child will be learning how to improve their handwriting at the same time.
Sheilagh Blyth, Founder of Help with Handwriting.
Step 2. There are a few things that your child is going to need during the online lesson.
- They will need lined paper, rather than plain paper, to ensure that they have something to focus their writing on. If you can, you should avoid spiral notebooks. Particularly if your child is left-handed, as this can make writing uncomfortable.
- Another thing that you must have is a favourite pen or pencil. This will allow them to feel comfortable and ready to write.
- It is also a good idea, if you can, to have a mechanical pencil rather than one that you need to sharpen. This can help avoid constant sharpening.
- The space that they work on is also essential. They need enough room to keep everything, including their paper, their pens and a laptop.
- The device you use should be charged or have a charger nearby. It is best to avoid a phone or tablet as the screen may be too small for them.
- Testing the equipment to be used beforehand can be helpful.
- It is also advisable that you do not let them sit on an office chair that spins as this will be far too tempting for them to turn around, rather than concentrating on the task in hand.
- The area should be well-lit, as this will help them to focus.
- Food should also be avoided before and during the lesson as this can make a mess and give them sticky hands.
- I also ask that you as a parent are around for the lesson, this is not only due to safeguarding, but it is also essential so that you can hear any feedback given to them at the end of the session. Some parents stay in the room, others are within ear shot. I am happy with whatever works best for you.
Step 3. After the online lesson
There is a good chance that there will be homework. We’ll make it as fun as possible. It is really a chance for your child to review what they have learned and practice the techniques we have taught them. Ideally, we do try to link it back to any homework given to them by their school. This helps them make the transition from producing great work with us to producing great work at school sooner.
Any work set by us must be returned at least one day before the next lesson. This gives us time to review it and ensure that we continue to make improvements in the next lesson.
If you are concerned about how to motivate your child when doing homework we have a great guide for you. Read how to motivate the unmotivated writer here. Alternatively, you might like to read our homework guide. our given after the lesson.
The important thing is that your child enjoys their online lessons with us. If a child enjoys something, then there is a good chance that they will get more from it and that they will want to try harder the next time around.
