What Parents Can Do Right Now to Start Planning for Fall

A recent NY Times article cites research indicating that, by September, “most students will have fallen behind where they would have been if they had stayed in classrooms, with some losing the equivalent of a full school year’s worth of academic gains.”

As schools plan to reopen in the fall, many expect this will entail some hybrid of remote and in-person learning. We recommend parents consider the five questions outlined below in order to start thinking now about what kind of academic program they’re going to need in order to make-up for potential losses from spring and help their kids thrive.

Question One: Are we comfortable with in-person classes?

One question families will need to consider this fall is whether they are comfortable with any in-person instruction if it’s an option. Some schools and districts may open their classrooms up in a limited capacity, or provide staggered scheduling for in-person options until November and then move to a solely remote model. But this doesn’t mean all parents will be ready to send their kids to school, especially those who have family members with immune disorders.

For families still weighing the potential risks and benefits of this decision, we recommend reading the following article by mother and economics professor Emily Oster about how to navigate those tougher choices.

Question Two: How did spring go?

Schools and districts have learned a lot since the insane learning curve of spring. Still, children will likely respond similarly to a remote learning environment in the fall as they did in the spring. Children who thrived in the spring will probably continue to thrive, and children who fell behind run the risk of even further falling behind.

Question Three: How good is your remote learning program?

A solid online learning program will include a solid blend of synchronous (live) classes, asynchronous (homework) work, and ideally some one-on-one time with the teacher. Students should be receiving feedback (ideally live) on their classwork and on homework they turn in. That’s the way they’ll learn.

Other features of really good remote learning programs include:

• Engaging online content (multimedia)

• Doc cam usage so that teachers can see what students are writing and respond in real time

• Assessments require more than answering a lot of multiple choice questions

• Teachers understand how to take advantage of the digital learning environment

Question Four: Where are the gaps?

If a child is happy with their school’s remote learning program but the parent isn’t convinced they’re learning as much as they might be in the brick-and-mortar environment, it’s important to consider ways to supplement potential gaps with one-on-one work with a tutor or teacher to make sure kids aren’t falling too far behind, especially in ELA and math.

Working parents who don’t have a lot of bandwidth to provide wrap-around academic and accountability support at home may want to consider arranging a tutor to meet with their kids for quick daily check-ins (20-30 minutes) when school begins to ensure they aren’t falling behind on assignments.

Question Five: What are my options?

This is a great time for parents to start thinking outside of the box when it comes to their children’s education. Parents who feel like spring was a bust when it came to learning should take comfort in knowing there are a lot of opportunities to make improvements for fall. But it’s important to start thinking about what this will look like and plan accordingly.

Here are a few important aspects of remote learning to consider:

• Synchronous (live classes) vs. asynchronous (video/reading/self-taught) learning

• Group vs. 1:1 support from teachers

• Live feedback from teachers vs. delayed feedback on assignments

To learn more about 1:1 live, online learning and in-person options through Pacific Preparatory, please contact us for a consultation.