In 2019, approximately 56.6 million Americans enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. School districts across the country made the difficult decision to close schools and move to online classes due to public health and safety concerns with the current COVID-19 global pandemic. Families and guardians are expected to take a more active role in their children’s education by becoming more involved themselves. Parents, here are some educational tips, strategies, and resources.
Ensure that the student participates in all online activities, including instructional time and any additional online chats.
Talk to your child’s teachers about his or her current academic progress, including the completion of homework assignments, projects, and exams.
Additional academic enrichment activities like educational websites, at-home science projects, or fun learning games are recommended for parents.
- Parents should ensure that their children’s at-home learning environment includes a quiet place away from distractions, regular homework and study times, and learning materials such as a computer/laptop, textbooks, etc.
There may be updates or meetings that need to be held before the end of the school year for students who are receiving exceptional student education (ESE) services, are under an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or a 504 Plan.
Follow-up with school personnel to get an update on how your child’s evaluation is going and to see if the school psychologist will be doing any testing this summer if he or she was previously evaluated for special education services.
Consider having a private psychoeducational evaluation performed on your child if you are concerned about the start of the next academic year if your child was unable to begin his or her assessment prior to school closing. A private psychoeducational evaluation may be at your own cost, and the school does not have to accept the results or recommendations. As a bonus, if you submit it to the school, it becomes part of your child’s academic record. Before you shell out hundreds of dollars for a private assessment, please consider the aforementioned factors.
It’s a good idea to look into a university-based clinic that has graduate students working under the supervision of a licenced clinical psychologist or a certified school psychologist if you’d like to have a private psychoeducational evaluation completed.
To make sure that classes begin on time, students in their senior year who plan on attending college in the fall should check with their chosen college or university.
After graduating, students should check on the status of their financial aid, including any grants, scholarships, or G.I. bill disbursements that have already been awarded.
Websites for educational purposes:
For children ages 2-8, Abcmouse is a subscription-based digital education programme.
Children’s educational websites that are animated
K-12 classrooms around the world can use Discovery Education’s standards-based digital curriculum resources for free.
Educational games for children at Funbrain.com
Self-paced learning is made possible by Khan Academy’s practise exercises, instructional videos, and a personalised learning dashboard.
Free interactive math and science simulations can be found at PhET Simulations.
Scholastic provides children’s books, literacy resources, and educational solutions from a single company.
In order to facilitate citizen science projects, Scistarter connects the public with scientists and resources.
Preschool through second graders can use Starfall’s educational games and activities to help them improve their literacy and math skills.
Tutor.com/military- More than 100 subjects are covered by the programme, which provides 24/7 online help for students in grades kindergarten through college. DoD civilians and active duty, National Guard, Reserve, and Wounded Warrior military families are now eligible for the programme at no cost.