FINDING THE GOOD LIFE

New Ways to Keep Kids Engaged While Distance-Learning

As learning goes remote, many teachers and families are doing their best to adjust. Luckily, new resources and tools are emerging to help ease this process.

For example, the “Learn Through This” campaign, an initiative of VTech Electronics North America, is expanding learning opportunities for kids at home. Here’s what to know about the campaign and how your family can access these resources:

Online Resources
Through the LeapFrog Learning Path, an online portal featuring free resources to keep children learning at home, parents can find valuable advice from learning experts on a variety of topics, such as preparing kids with 21st century skills and learning to read. In addition, the portal provides a suggested daily schedule, a curated list of educational websites and free printable activity books to help parents maximize their children’s time outside the classroom and keep them engaged.

Families can also access an extended free trial of the LeapFrog Academy educational app, as well as reduced costs on the six-month and 12-month plans. An interactive learning program filled with over 2,000 engaging games and activities for 3-6 year olds, the app can be used on any device with no Wi-Fi required.

Learning Toys
It’s not always easy to ensure toys chosen for children enrich their development and encourage learning. To help parents find the right toys to meet their children’s needs, VTech and LeapFrog will be sharing video walkthroughs on their YouTube channels. Whether a parent is looking for a role-play toy for their child that loves pretending to be a chef, a desk to practice writing skills or an interactive learning system to get kids excited about reading, personalized toy recommendations will make it easier for parents to keep children engaged and learning.

Support for Schools
As schools remain closed, many parents are getting a fuller picture of the important role teachers play and the scope of their responsibilities. To support educators faced with the challenge of recreating the classroom from home, VTech Electronics North America made a $50,000 donation to AdoptAClassroom.org’s COVID-19 Disaster Relief Fund. The fund will be disbursed to high-needs teachers and schools impacted by COVID-19. A national, award-winning nonprofit, AdoptAClassroom.org is working directly with educators, schools and vendor partners to identify their needs and get tools in the hands of students to make sure the learning doesn’t stop.

Parents, teachers and children are facing unique challenges during this unprecedented time. But with the right balance of education and fun, children can continue to thrive and learn. (StatePoint)