Online learning has become a normal part of many children’s education — but it’s not quite the same as sitting in a classroom, and children who flourish in it aren’t simply those who happen to adapt naturally. With a little preparation, almost any child can get as much from an online lesson as from a face-to-face one. Here’s what parents can do.
Create a Dedicated Learning Space
The single most impactful thing you can do is give your child a consistent, distraction-free place to learn. This doesn’t need to be a home office — a cleared kitchen table, a bedroom desk, or even a corner of the living room works fine. What matters is that it’s consistently used for learning, and that during online sessions it doesn’t double as the place where younger siblings are playing or where the TV is on.
Good lighting (facing a window, not backlit by one) and a stable internet connection are worth prioritising. Frozen video and choppy audio are genuinely disruptive to learning, not just mildly annoying.
Sort the Technology in Advance
Before the first session:
- Test the video platform your tutor uses (Zoom, Google Meet, Teams) — ideally do a brief test call
- Check that your child’s microphone works clearly and that their camera shows their face, not the ceiling
- Have a backup plan for poor internet — a phone hotspot, or a prearranged way of rescheduling if connection drops entirely
Technology problems at the start of a session eat into learning time and are stressful for everyone. A twenty-minute check the day before avoids most of them.
Build the Habit of Camera On
Children who learn with their camera off are less engaged — and good tutors teach differently when they can see their students. Encourage your child to have their camera on from the start. It becomes normal quickly, and the quality of the session improves noticeably when the tutor can see whether a student is confused, distracted, or has understood.
Reduce Background Distractions
Other devices are the biggest distraction during online sessions. Phones should be in another room or face-down and silenced. Social media notifications should be off. If your child is on a laptop, other tabs should be closed. This isn’t about distrust — it’s about helping them build the focus habits that will serve them in any learning context.
Talk About What Online Learning Is Like
Children who’ve never done online learning sometimes feel awkward in the first session — the dynamic is unfamiliar, it can feel strange to talk to a screen, and the social cues are slightly different. A quick conversation beforehand (“It might feel a bit different at first — that’s normal, it gets easier”) normalises the strangeness and reduces first-session anxiety.
Also reassure them that it’s completely fine to say “I don’t understand” or “could you explain that again?” online — perhaps more fine than in a classroom, since there are no peers watching.
After the Session
Ask a simple question when they finish: “What was the most useful thing from today?” This consolidates learning, signals that you’re interested, and gives you a window into whether the sessions are working. You don’t need to quiz them — just a brief conversation that treats the learning as real and worth reflecting on.
All Thorogood English sessions are online via Zoom — and we’re happy to do a free no-pressure trial so your child can get comfortable with the format before committing. Join the waiting list for January 2027.
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