Play Frog’s online French program has been designed to teach young children at home and in centres around Australia French language and culture in a fun and engaging way. We have designed our online French lessons to motivate young children to be active learners from their home through dynamic activities, multimedia resources, and of course, our friendly teachers.
However, as any home-schooling teacher knows well, keeping a young child on task and focused can have its challenges. Even though our weekly online video lessons are only approximately 10 minutes in length, it can still be a lot to ask of a 3-5 year-old to pay attention for that long. While our teachers will present the video lessons to be as engaging and involved as possible, there are still important steps that parents can take in order to increase their child’s focus during our lessons.
Here are some friendly tips for parents to better engage their child/ren during our online French classes.
Prepare a Dedicated Learning Space
Creating a dedicated learning area that is warm, inviting, and designed to keep your child on task will go a long way towards enhancing their learning experience. This space should be the same for every lesson, establishing a strong routine so your child will grow to associate that space with Play Frog.
The learning space should be comfortable for your child, while having enough space for them to participate in any of the physical activities that are presented in the lesson. They should also have a desk or table for any colouring-in or writing activities.
Take Away any Distractions
The attention span of young children can sometimes feel non-existent, but you will significantly improve their focus if you eliminate any potential distractions from their learning area. There are always going to be some distractions that you can’t control – such as your neighbour’s dog barking or the sound of a helicopter flying overhead. However, you still have a fair degree of control over removing potential objects that may divert your child’s focus.
Some notable distractions that you can avoid during Play Frog’s lessons include:
- Loud televisions, phones or computers
- Toys, colouring books, games, and other play items
- Performing distracting jobs while your child learns such as cleaning, cooking, or taking a phone call
Finally, make sure that whatever device you are showing Play Frog’s lesson on has enough charge so there are no unnecessary delays while your child is learning.
Encourage and Participate
To get your child excited about participating in Play Frog’s online lessons, you need to be excited for them. Young children are far more likely to participate in an activity if they have a trusted adult modelling enthusiasm around them. In this sense, staying with your child and joining them for our lessons is a key way you can keep them engaged.
This is especially important for home schools that only have a single child, but it applies for larger families as well. Whether you actively participate in the lesson with them, or simply give them loads of positive feedback as they perform the activities, encouraging your child’s learning will provide them with the confidence to try new things and feel empowered.
Try Play Frog’s Home School Programs
Play Frog offers exciting home school programs for both individual and multiple children. Our pre-recorded video lessons are created to immerse young minds in a way that stimulates their thinking, ignites their imagination, and gradually teaches them the basics of French in a fun and playful way. If you would like to sign up for one of our home school programs, or if you have any more questions, we encourage you to contact our friendly team today at info@playfrog.com.au!
