As students begin 3rd school year disrupted by COVID, here’s how KC parents can help
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Students are entering their third school year disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. And experts are sounding the alarm that it will take extra time and resources to help them make up for unfinished classroom time — especially in elementary schools, where, new data shows, students lost the most ground.
What can parents do to ensure their children succeed this school year?
Here are some tips from the experts, which can be applied even in the busiest of families.
Learn the rules
Depending on the school district, COVID-19 protocols are likely different than last school year. And they are subject to change, as officials watch the trend in new cases and determine the best ways to keep students safe.
Experts encourage parents to help their children understand the rules and practice them throughout the school year, including everything from social distancing to masking and hand-washing.
Become a partner
Whether it’s showing up to a school board or PTA meeting, volunteering or taking extra time to reach out to your child’s teacher, be willing to be a partner with your school system. And be patient with teachers.
“Nobody wants to do anything to take steps backward. We all want to move forward and do what’s best for each other. But you have to give each other some grace to figure out how we can all be partners in this,” said Marcus Baltzell, an educator and spokesman for the Kansas National Education Association. “Look for those moments where you can engage in a partnership with your child’s school, rather than find ways to exercise frustration.”
Read
Encourage children to read for fun this school year. And help them find books they’ll enjoy. They’ll build foundational skills crucial to succeeding as they advance in school.
“Just read with your child every day. Read for fun. Don’t feel like you have to be the teacher. Just make time. Model it. Expose them to it. Share the job of it and build your relationship through it,” said Kristin Droege, executive director of Turn the Page KC, which works to raise the reading proficiency of third graders. “Just take 10 minutes a day to read with your child.”
Focus on the positives
Much of the focus during the pandemic has been on students falling behind in school.
Rather than talking about the learning lost, talk with your children about the skills they gained. A shy student might have learned a new way to advocate for themselves, by messaging a teacher during a Zoom lesson. Others might have learned how to be more independent and guide their own learning.
Celebrate those wins and build up children’s confidence, so they’re excited about accelerating in school.
Ask for help
Parents have done a lot to advocate for their children’s mental health during the pandemic.
But educators say it’s just as important for parents to work on their own emotional well-being. Check in with your family. Check in with yourself. And find ways to practice self-care.
“Children pick up on the mental health of their parents. So parents need to take care of themselves,” Droege said. “If they’re feeling stressed or anxious, children are absorbing that. Make time for you and know your child benefits from that, too.
“Parents and teachers are the worst about doing that. They tend to want to solve everything, and they really feel the weight of the world on their shoulders. But taking care of themselves right now is just as important for their kids.”
This story was originally published August 25, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
