Set Students Up for Success With Screentime Settings

When it comes to a student completing his or her homework, some challenges will always remain the same. Especially when it comes to time management and minimizing distraction. It does not matter if the work is completed on paper or on an iPad, nothing is better for increasing quality learning or time on task than working side-by-side with a student. Unfortunately, it may not always be possible for students to work under such close supervision. That is why we recommend that the Screentime settings are set up properly on student iPads.

Parents are really the most suitable to manage the screentime app settings. That way, they have control if a child needs to have the settings modified on certain occasions. Turning on Screentime is easy:

1. Go to Settings > Screen Time.
2. Tap Turn On Screen Time.
3. Tap Continue.
4. Select This is My [device] or This is My Child’s [device].

Now that Screentime is on, the student and parent can receive valuable information about how and how much the iPad is used by the student. However, it may be important for some families to take screentime management a step further. For instance, setting time limits for certain apps or downtime away from the device. To set app time limits or to set up device downtime, you will need to first create a password that is NOT known by the student:

1. Go to Settings > Screen Time.
2. Tap [your child’s name]
3. Tap Change Screen Time Passcode.
4. Add the restrictions to your student’s iPad as you see fit!
   ⚠️ Please do not disallow “account changes!” Students will need a school-issued Apple ID on many occasions.

These restrictions work! So it is important to factor in a suitable amount of time for students to use the devices while at school. For this reason, we highly recommend that families begin with setting up device downtime before layering on more restrictive settings. Ultimately, how and when a device is used at home is a family decision. Setting up the Screentime app is just one way to help a student continue their learning when direct supervision is not available.

For more information, check out the Screentime website.