This year has challenged many to rethink and evaluate their daily schedule and habits. With safety concerns high and public health a priority, schools and parents have had to adapt to a new learning environment. Students homes have doubled as a classroom and parents working from home have become instructors. The shift has encouraged many parents to search for inventive ways to support their child’s educational development. To help parents and students e-learning at home, teachers and subject matter experts have teamed up with the Census Bureau to develop educational toolkits that will equip students with data-finding skills, statistical literacy, and will prepare them for a data-driven world.
Tips for Creating a Learning Environment at Home
Statistics in Schools has developed the following best practices to support e-learning at home:
- Find a Good Learning Spot: Dedicate a quiet and comfortable space strictly for learning. Make sure it’s a separate space from where children normally play and use electronics for entertainment purposes. If a dedicated space is not available, remove toys and turn off electronics to help children stay focused on learning.
- Make a schedule: Routines are key and help children set expectations for the day. Building the schedule together each morning and helping them create a checklist for each task can help them feel accomplished and invested in their learning.
- Prepare the Materials in Advance: Help children stay focused by preparing all the necessary materials before they start each activity. Read through the teaching guide and have the internet browser ready with websites and videos that will help with the activities that day. Parents and children can read through the instructions together and complete them as they go.
- Be Part of the Fun: Model what it looks like to get excited about learning new things. Excitedly share after new learnings, “I never knew that!” or “What a cool fact about our country!” Children often emulate and share in the excitement of completing the learning activity.
- Connect with Others: Be creative about connecting with other parents, caregivers, and other children while e-learning. Host a video chat with a group of parents about how they’ve utilized SIS tools while teaching their children. Schedule a video call with parents and classmates that are completing similar activities and compare answers and drawings. Children can also later virtually share what they’ve learned with extended family members.
Helpful Educational Resources to Use at Home
The U.S. Census Bureau’s Statistics in School (SIS) program has released the following toolkits to help parents teach their pre-K through high school students in a fun and engaging way to learn about statistics while completing the 2020 Census:
- Pre-K Toolkit is available in both English and Spanish and intended for children under the age of 5.
- Elementary School Toolkit explains why the census is important and why everyone needs to be counted.
- Middle School Toolkit includes facts about census enumeration and data about population density.
- High School Toolkit teaches students how to use Census Bureau data to inform personal decisions, such as choosing a field to study or deciding where to live after high school.
- State Facts for Students allows students to discover information about their state.
- 2020 Maps captures the attention of students with large, colorful maps filled with fun census-based facts about the country and its territories.
- 2020 Videos raise students’ awareness and enthusiasm by showing videos best suited to their age and grade level while teaching the value of census data.
Complete the US Census today and make sure each child is counted. Sharing with children the positive impact they’ve made in ensuring their school, local parks, and vital public resources receive the funding they need to support all their friends and neighbors will make a lifelong impression. Take action today.
