How to Use New Technologies to Support At-Home Learning

You're Not Alone: Helping Your Child Learn from Home

Just yesterday, a mom told me through tears, "I don’t know what else to try. I sit with my daughter every evening, and we still end up arguing. She zones out the moment we open her school notebook." Sound familiar?

If you’re parenting a child aged 6 to 12, and at-home learning has become a battle zone, you’re not alone. With rising homework demands, different learning styles, and the residual stress many kids carry from school, it’s no wonder evenings feel like a tug-of-war.

But what if the tools we use every day — smartphones, tablets, even a simple photo — could lighten the load? Not just for your child, but for you too?

Technology Isn’t the Enemy — It’s a Bridge

For a long time, parents were told to limit screen time, that tablets would only distract our kids. And yes, there are still boundaries to respect. But let’s pause and look at screens differently — not as a replacement for learning, but as a bridge between school and home.

New educational apps and tech tools are evolving rapidly, not just to digitize lessons, but to personalize them. Think about your child: maybe they’re an auditory learner who finds written exercises exhausting. Or perhaps they thrive in play and storytelling but shut down when faced with rigid instructions.

In these cases, the right use of tech can work with your child’s learning style rather than against it.

Start By Observing How Your Child Learns

Many of us jump to solutions — extra tutoring, more worksheets, stricter routines — without first asking: How does my child actually understand the world?

I once worked with an 8-year-old boy who couldn’t sit still for anything academic. Reading time was a trigger, math was a meltdown. But when we recorded a lesson as an audio story — with him as the explorer navigating a jungle of numbers — something clicked. He listened. He asked questions. He laughed. Suddenly, the barrier was gone.

This is why beginning with curiosity is so crucial. Ask yourself:

• Does my child prefer to talk rather than write?
• Do they come alive when acting out stories?
• Do they retain more when something is repeated out loud?

Technology can meet these preferences in creative ways — not by replacing our involvement, but by giving us new tools to connect.

Transforming Homework into Interaction

One of the toughest moments for parents is seeing their child shut down before homework even begins. If this is you, you might appreciate some thoughts from this article on avoiding tears and tantrums around homework.

But beyond emotional support, imagine this: What if you could take a picture of your child’s lesson sheet, and in seconds turn it into a fun quiz personalized with their name and grade level?

Or convert a written paragraph into an audio file they could listen to with headphones while building LEGOs?

Even better, picture an app that turns their lessons into a personalized audio adventure — where your child becomes the hero navigating the world of fractions or French grammar. One such tool, the Skuli App (available on iOS and Android), makes lessons feel like games, not chores. Just one example of how technology can gently reshape the learning experience without replacing it.

These features are especially helpful on busy evenings when your energy is low and your child’s tolerance even lower. Instead of forcing them through another worksheet, you’re creating an experience — one they might even look forward to.

Making the Most of Learning Moments Throughout the Day

Learning doesn’t have to be confined to the dining room table. With digital tools, you can make use of unexpected moments: in the car, while cooking dinner, even during a walk in the park.

Let’s say your child is struggling to memorize spelling words. Once you’ve converted those words into an audio format, you could play them in the car on the way to school, asking your child to shout out the next word or come up with a silly sentence using it. Suddenly, learning is happening without the usual dread.

And if you’re feeling unsure about how deeply you should get involved at all, this guide about supporting your child without adding pressure might offer a sense of direction.

Technology Doesn’t Replace You — It Supports You

As parents, the most valuable thing we bring to our children’s learning is our presence. But we’re human. We get tired, frustrated, overwhelmed.

Technology, when thoughtfully chosen, can do more than simplify the delivery—it can reshape the emotional temperature of your home learning time. And that, as many parents tell me, is worth everything.

So if the evenings feel heavy, or you're worried that you're not "doing enough," know this: sometimes the best step isn’t adding more responsibility — it’s finding smarter, more joyful ways to share the learning journey together.

For more on strengthening that bridge between school and home, this article dives into real tools parents can lean on.

And if you’re wondering how to even open up the conversation around school without triggering stress, this resource might be a gentle place to begin.

Take a Breath, Then Take the First Step

You don't need to become your child's teacher, tech guru, or miracle worker overnight. Start with one small thing: ask how they like to learn. Then explore one tool that matches that style.

You might be surprised to find that help is already right in your hand — not as a solution to all your worries, but as a way to gently say: "I'm with you in this." And sometimes, that’s all your child really needs.