Here are a few tips for helping your student be successful with the Essentials Online.

Set expectations
As with any learning experience, setting expectations for students is critical to their success. This can mean how you expect the students to engage with the material for online learning. For example, during spelling analysis lessons, students are expected to count the syllables, segment the word to the individual sounds, and say the sounds aloud as they write. Speaking and listening while writing is an integral part of multi-sensory learning. When introducing the course to students, sit with them for the first few spelling analysis sessions, so they understand that just watching the video and waiting until the end to write the word is not sufficient. Think about your expectations for:

• What to do when students struggle with the interactive activity
• When to continue and when to wait for teacher intervention
• How to actively listen to video lessons
• How to participate in the spelling analysis process
• How parents monitor progress on interactive activities (for example, the student might take screenshots of the success screen to save for the teacher)
• How to ask for help when needed

Determine Scheduling
Scheduling for the Essentials courses will vary based on the student's needs. Before your student is ready to work independently, you will need to determine how much you expect to complete in a session. Will you set a timer and work for that amount of time? Will you complete one lesson or unit part a day, or will you break it up into smaller chunks? If you are new to the curriculum, you may need to adjust your schedule as you go. Pacing ideas visit our Essentials information page.

Work with others
Learning doesn't happen in a vacuum. It is easy to isolate in front of a computer screen with online learning, but sharing what we are learning is part of the process. Try some of these:
Watch the videos together and discuss what you are learning.
Have students write about or create a video explaining what they have learned. Give them a chance to teach others.
Consider adding additional resources such as the multiplayer games in Logic of English Game Book to encourage students to learn together.

Assess regularly
Part 5 of every unit in Essentials is an assessment of learning. The teacher must give these assessments. However, these should not be the only assessments teachers do of student learning throughout the course. Make note of student progress on the interactive activities, talking about the learning and goals for the day, watching the student as they view the videos, and completing the assignments are other ways to assess learning and progress. Logic of English Progress Monitoring Checklists can help you keep track of your assessments.

Make connections
To improve the student experience, help them make connections to other areas. Look for students to apply the spelling rules and phonograms as they read and write in other content areas.