Lawrence Bailey | August 7th, 2020
Students lose more of their academic progress in the summer months than at any other point in their education. The break they experience is refreshing, but educators know the adage “if you don’t use it, you lose it” holds all too true in this context; a recent report indicated that students may lose as much as 20 percent of their gains in English and 27 percent of their gains in math in the short summer months. In the age of COVID-19, this point is made even more salient because of the similar compounded experiences of summer vacation and time spent out of school due to quarantine.
…a recent report indicated that students may lose as much as 20 percent of their gains in English and 27 percent of their gains in math in the short summer months..
As a result, the responsibility has been thrust upon parents to fill the void created by this pandemic. While this task is cumbersome, the key to minimizing the losses our students face is to break down the barriers that exist between school and home. We must frame the world as the ideal classroom for our students and seek to create opportunities for students to hone their skills within the real world to make education less nebulous and more practical for its beneficiaries. Here is a list of three simple things parents can do to help fill that void:
1. Get your student involved in household responsibilities, such as grocery shopping, menu planning, or budgeting allowances.
For example, before grocery shopping, have your students write the store list and set a budget for them to work within. As they proceed to help with this shopping, ask them to weigh the produce and do the conversions to keep a running tally of cost. Once they finish doing this, any extra money they have left over within the budget can be a lesson on how businesses function, with the money left over being explained as profit by subtracting expenses from income. By organizing a list, students are utilizing an important life skill. By working within a budget and converting produce costs by weight, algebra has a meaning that can be explicitly seen in the real world. It may not seem like it, but it makes learning dynamic because students see the lessons they are taught in school as something that benefits them and has legitimate out-of-school applications, demolishing the barriers between school and home.
2. Engage in Democratic Dialogue
Any history teacher worthy of the craft will tell you that history education is far more than remembering the names and dates of important figures, it is becoming an informed and critical consumer of information in a world riddled with misinformation. An easy task to give to your student may be to look at the campaign contributions that are given to candidates and then reflecting on how those contributions impact the messages of those candidates. This will teach your students about the role of money in politics while also giving them a sense of stake in democracy.
Any history teacher worthy of the craft will tell you that history education is far more than remembering the names and dates of important figures, it is becoming an informed and critical consumer of information in a world riddled with misinformation.
3. Learn to entertain ideas besides their own and support their ideas with reputable sources
Our students have lots of opinions, but don’t always support them with facts. Ask your students to prove what they are thinking with facts, not just their opinion, and possibly even direct them to places they may find it. Another task to give your students may be to look at current events from the perspective of two news sources, such as MSNBC and Fox News, and compare and contrast how those outlets treat the subject.
After doing so, ask your student to talk about what seems wrong or right about the sources. Even if they are inclined to only believe one of the sources, it will teach them that there are two sides to all stories, and it is the job of the consumer to set the record straight.
We are embarking into uncharted waters, testing the seas and adjusting the sails as necessary to set our students on a course towards a future we desire for all of them. With the threat of another year under quarantine looming, parents must choose how to best support their sons and daughters in achieving all that we want for them. The key to this is all around us, because when the world becomes our classroom, we create lifelong learners equipped not just with knowledge, but the skills to apply it.
Excellent article with great learning tools for parents!