Breaks - Why they are important…

You may find that your student with an LD had a hard time maintaining their focus during their in-person classes back at school. Imagine how much more difficult it is for that student to maintain their focus and desire to learn while staring at their computer screen for an extended period of time. I know it is already a challenge for those without a learning disability. 

Because of this reality, it is important to implement and encourage breaks into your child’s school day. Breaks from work. Breaks from staring at the screen. Breaks from sitting in one place for too long. 

Try encouraging fun and disconnecting activity. Like, taking a walk (if it is safe where you live), playing a game, exercising, arts and crafts. You name it. Take this time to work on yourself and learning, but to also develop a hobby. 

Here are some options for how to spend your break time… 

Non-Screen Games:

• Have your child play “trainer” - have them call out the 10 jumping jacks, the 10 sit-ups etc. in a short, active exercise session. Variation: have your child make up an exercise to teach the household.

•  Build-A-World - with or without a pencil and paper, develop a make-believe world including what the people look like, what the food is like, what the earth is like, etc. Over time, create characters and events in your “new world”.

• Have your child draw what they see out the window at different times of the day. They could focus on different things: a water tower, a window across the street, a tree, a fire hydrant.

• Write letters (yes - snail mail!) to relatives and/or join a letter-writing team for to send letters to the elderly.