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Tips and resources for keeping kids' brains active at home

A routine and dedicated time for learning are just two things experts encourage as in-person teaching is put on hold.

SAN ANTONIO — Over the past few days posts have been circulating on social media thanking teachers for everything they do and the different hats they wear in the classrooms.

Since the majority of south Texas schools have suspended in-person teaching to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, parents now have to teach from home. So here are a few tips and tricks that can help get you through the next few weeks.

First, find a routine.

Serenity Abrams taught high school for three years and says it’s important to keep things as normal as possible. On a normal day parents would wake up, brush teeth, eat breakfast and drop kids at school—keeping a strict routine like that will go a long way. 

Next, she says to take advantage of online resources.

“A lot of schools are switching to the online classrooms, so parents should check with their school districts and their teachers in the classroom,” Abrams said.

North East ISD has listed resources on its website that parents with kids of any age can take advantage of.

On the Idea Burke Facebook page there are links to help keep those minds engaged.

“You can’t let them sleep in until 1, 2 p.m. and expect them to want to learn,” Abrams said.

She added that parents should plan to teach their kids at least three hours a day, and read for at least 30 minutes.

 “We have to figure out a balance. Maybe they’ll learn the first half of the day and then the second half is play,” Abrams said.

Lastly, Abrams says if none of that works for you, just ask for help.

“At the end of the day it’s about the kid," she said. "And we want to do what’s best for them."

Stay up to date on the latest information regarding the fight to contain coronavirus in Texas and elsewhere:

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