Parenting and Learning Issues
The coronavirus pandemic has made its way around the world, changing the lives of millions all in the span of a few months. In the United States, many state governors issued stay-at-home orders that not only closed nonessential businesses and limited travel, but closed schools as well. Parents and teachers alike were forced to suddenly navigate the challenges of remote learning, some with more success than others. As things start to get back to “normal” in many states, parents are left wondering what the upcoming school year will look like and how they should prepare.
In this article, we’ll explore the subject of the upcoming 2020-21 school year and what it might look like. We’ll talk about the pros and cons of homeschooling as well and provide some tips for protecting your children if you choose to send them back to school.
Will Schools Be Open in the Fall?
Most Americans expect schools to reopen in the fall, but even if they do your child may not be returning to the same school they left in March. In a USA Today poll, 1 in 5 teachers revealed that they are unlikely to return to the classroom if their school reopens in the fall.
It’s no secret that the coronavirus pandemic upended our way of life, but even as many states begin to reopen we may be feeling the effects well into the next year. When it comes to the upcoming 2020-21 school year, there are no clear answers yet. The details
The coronavirus pandemic entered the United States with force, shutting down businesses and closing down schools in a matter of weeks. After months of partial or total lockdown, parts of the country are starting to reopen which leaves parents wondering what the future holds for their child’s education.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the financial impact of COVID-19 on public schools and what to expect in the future. We’ll talk about the effects of budget cuts and other challenges affecting the public school system for the remainder of this school year and into the next.
Budget Cuts and Changes in State Revenue
The public school system is generally funded by the state through income, property, and sales taxes. Some public schools receive federal funding as well, or funding from outside sources.
In many cases, the school districts that need the most funding are not the ones that get it. In Pennsylvania, for example, high-poverty districts receive 33% less funding than wealthier districts. On the whole, only about 1 out of 5 states spend more money on their neediest schools, though that’s an improvement from 2008. In the wake of COVID-19, many public schools fear for their futures.
In Michigan, the Kalamazoo Public School’s budget is expected to decrease by 10% to 25% in the coming school year. A 25% cut in funding amounts to roughly $27 million. According to KPS Interim Superintendent Gary Start, it’s the worst state cut he’s ever seen. The cut could result in
In early March, the spread of COVID-19 became an issue lawmakers and educators could no longer ignore. The difficult decision was made in many states to close the doors of public and private schools, moving children to online learning from home. In the hopes that social distancing will slow the spread of the virus, families find themselves dealing with the challenges of working and schooling from home.
In this article, we’ll explore the challenges associated with online learning and the impact of widespread school closures. We’ll also talk about how to establish a homeschooling routine and provide some useful resources for online learning and educational ideas for children and families.
Challenges Associated with Online Learning
As schools all over the country closed their doors, a wave of panic spread through the community. Though many schools announced an initial 2-week closure, others offered no end date.
Not only have these closures resulted in an interruption of education, but they also have a negative impact on other aspects of a child’s life. The stability that comes from a daily school schedule is important, as is the time children spend learning from interactions with others. At school, students benefit from the supervision of qualified professionals and a structured schedule. For many students, school also means consistent access to meals.
Though remote learning is the best option in the current situation, it is not without its challenges. Here are some of the challenges associated with online learning:
- Not all students have access to the same resources. Some
It is a teacher’s job to shape the minds of the nation’s youth, teaching them the concepts and skills they’ll need to become functional adults. Early childhood education is critical, and it can affect everything from a student’s future academic success to his mental and emotional health.
Every child learns differently and his educational success depends, in large part, on his teachers and their method of instruction. Children learn by listening, observing, exploring, and asking questions. The more a child understands the “what” and “why” of the lesson, the more motivated and engaged they’re going to be. Scaffolding is an instructional tool teachers use to develop critical thinking skills and other skills they need to work more independently.
Read on to learn more about what scaffolding is, how it differs from other teaching methods, and what benefits it has for student success.
What is Instructional Scaffolding?
In higher education, students are often left to their own devices to take a project from the assignment phase to completion. A college professor might give a classroom full of students a research article and ask them to write a detailed essay about the key topic. As the professor in this example, you might expect to receive mixed results. Some students are more than capable of completing a project with minimal instruction while others might struggle. In many ways, it comes down to the way the student was taught in the early years of his education.
Instructional scaffolding is a teaching method that breaks up a
Children learn from each and every experience they have. Before they set foot in school for the first time, you as the parent are their very first teacher. Education is not something that ends at a certain age but something your child should pursue throughout his life. If you want your child to become an informed individual, it’s time to start taking their education more seriously, both in and out of school.
If you develop in your child a hunger for knowledge, each and every day will become an opportunity to learn something new. In this article, we’ll explore some of the ways you can help your child maximize his education in 2020 by adapting to his learning style and supplementing his education at home.
Understanding Your Child’s Learning Style
In the early years of public school, there was an assumption that all children learned the same way or, at the very least, material was taught in a specific way. More recently, it has become evident that there are a number of different learning styles and every child is unique. By learning more about your child’s learning style, you can work with his teacher at school and with your child at home to help him maximize his education.
Here is an overview of the 7 different learning styles:
- Visual (Spatial) – This style learns best when they have an image to help them process the information or the opportunity to write out their thoughts.
- Aural (Auditory-Musical) – These learners respond primarily to sound. They
