Should the Child Be Kept in the Classroom?
As we approach the end of the school year, which may be one of the most stressful in history for students, teachers, school officials and parents, many of us face serious consequences for the emotional health of our children, and in some cases, we fear that the virtual learning will result in more learning losses in summer than usual .
For families who are most concerned with the academic aspect, there has always been an option to hold the student back and not take him to the next level if parents or teachers feel they are lagging behind. There are detailed and often varied studies on whether holding back students always has the desired impact, allowing them to catch up. In some cases, experts argue that the delay works and does not have a long-term negative impact on a student’s well-being or academic performance. Others argue that transferring students to the next grade and then supplementing their classroom learning with additional resources is the best option to help them catch up while keeping up socially.
The pandemic has added several layers of complications to this already difficult decision. For children who have already felt isolated or had emotional health issues, the added stress of having to repeat the assessment can further affect their sense of well-being.
Laurie Day is an education consultant who works with students and their families to make educational decisions. Day notes that parents must consider several factors before deciding to retain their student this year or any, including their age, social and emotional maturity, and how the children themselves will view containment.
“The stigma is stronger for older children than for younger children, especially when the repetition makes the child much older than his or her peers,” Day says.
Here are other considerations and conversations that parents should discuss when trying to make this decision.
Make your kids’ leisure and entertainment a priority now
No one needs a reminder, but the pandemic was tragic and severe. This is doubly true for children who were isolated from friends, unable to participate in extracurricular activities, potentially lost loved ones, and politicized their well-being in dialogues about when and how they should return to full-time education. Day encourages parents to remember that children are responsible and give them time to recharge this summer.
“I think parents should prioritize the mental health of their children in the run-up to summer,” Day says. “Let them play, go to camp, arrange meetings and spend their free time, preferably off-screen.”
Day also notes that it is important to understand that to some extent, most children returning to full-time education in the fall will experience a loss of knowledge and need to catch up. “I recommend that parents not hold back their children,” she says.
School districts are aware of this problem and will have mechanisms in place to provide additional assistance. Teachers and staff will prepare to address these challenges, expecting additional support for students in the fall.
“The teachers are well aware that in the past year students have struggled as they did and as their own children,” Day says. “It has been a really tough year. Trust me, teachers are planning an influx of students in September who haven’t done very well at Zoom. They will assess them and determine what their skills are and adjust the curriculum accordingly. ”
The prospect of catching up with students in subjects such as math or reading is easier than assessing the emotional state of children.
“I hope schools can provide more counseling services than they are used to because children will need it, and private counseling is often expensive and difficult to find,” Day says.
Stephen Merrill, director of Edutopia content , an organization that encourages innovation in K-12 education, says that too much attention paid to the loss of learning rather than the emotional health of students when they return to classes, would be a “historic mistake “:
The primary concern must be to rebuild the frayed social fabric of our learning communities, which study after study has shown are fundamental to true learning.
If we mis-prioritize and put content in front of the child, the consequences will be serious and long-term.
Don’t make a decision without the student’s input
Children are unlikely to volunteer to be held back, especially given the stigma associated with poor academic performance and the prospect of watching peers and friends move forward in class. Parents should not only engage their children in discussions in ways that are appropriate for their age, but also construct the conversation in a positive way so that the student understands it as a means of assistance and not as a punishment.
“Children in elementary, middle and high school need to be involved in decision making,” Day says. “They need to feel like they have a voice and they need to participate because otherwise they can sabotage their own accomplishments if they are angry, hurt, or feel punished.”
Day also notes that it is easier to decide whether to repeat the class if the child also changes schools, which makes it less likely that peers will notice.
“Going to the same school and watching friends move to the next class without you is painful for older kids,” she says. “If it is impossible or undesirable to change the school — and even if it is — parents should frame the solution as in the best interests of the child, and not as a reflection of their intellect or abilities.”
Take advantage of the resources available
Parents need to understand that they are solely responsible for ensuring that their children cope with learning difficulties during a pandemic. Teachers can also make a huge difference. Merrill notes that simple gestures from teachers, such as greeting students at the door, can boost academic activity in the classroom by as much as 20 percent. Teachers who understand that emotional well-being is now more important than academic performance will be an important factor in helping children who start late into the next school year.
Whether it’s a parent, teacher, or other support system, just showing kids that there are adults who care about them is vital right now. Research from Harvard University shows that children are resilient and can recover from severe adversity much more easily if they have at least one stable and supportive adult in their life.
Connecting kids to fun activities like outdoor summer camps that make learning fun and exciting can also be a way to revitalize them and boost their academic performance when they return to school. One-to-one or group learning services are also available in most communities, although Day cautions parents against jumping too quickly to this solution. Children understand their parents’ fears, so if the parents are constantly worried that their student is lagging behind, the student will catch on.
“This makes them more prone to anxiety and depression than they already are, especially in this unusual and stressful year of the pandemic,” Day said. “I want to emphasize that academic performance is not the most important thing now. These children will be all right. For the most part, they are catching up and they are in the same boat with many, if not most, other children. ”