The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on not only the health of people all over the world but on the education and literacy of children. Many children are unable to attend school in person due to the pandemic and aren’t getting the support they need in reading and writing.
The pandemic changed the way students study and learn. The good news is that there are lots of ways to help young learners during the COVID-19 school year. Here are 5 great ways to offer your support.
Volunteer for Zoom Literacy and Group Reading Meetings
Young learners who are unable to attend classes may have fewer opportunities to read and write in distance learning settings and will be more likely to fall behind during the COVID-19 school year.
These children might also not be able to develop their reading and writing skills at home. According to ProLiteracy, children are 72% more likely to be at a low reading level if their guardians have low literacy skills. You can help by volunteering with Zoom literacy and group reading meetings that give young learners more opportunities.
Don’t Get Caught in a Trap of Allowing Tokenism
Inclusion and diversity are important for ensuring that every child has the opportunity to develop literacy skills. But don’t be fooled by tokenism (one-off projects or initiatives that only reinforce racial stereotypes) as an attempt to develop inclusivity. Push for true diversity and inclusion initiatives in literacy education.
Become an Online Advocate for Neurodiversity
Misunderstanding neurodiversity can lead to poor literacy skills in children with autism, dyslexia, and similar diagnoses. To ensure equality in literacy education, it’s important for us to break down the stigma surrounding neurodivergent children and encourage innovative teaching methods that allow all young learners to reach their full potential.
We can break down stigma through education. Advocating online for neurodiversity education will help improve education in reading and writing for all children.
Prioritize Remote Learning Instead of Online Learning
Kids don’t have to be on Zoom for six hours a day to learn. In fact, asking them to sit still and pay attention for so long can be a barrier to developing literacy skills. Some households also don’t have access to technology and may struggle to ensure that their kids can attend virtual sessions.
Focusing on remote learning and providing activities that can be done at home, away from the webcam, can help. Kids will be more engaged and can spend their time online connecting with peers and getting support from their teachers. Developing literacy skills should not be dependent on computer access!
Encourage Young Learners to Fact Check Information
In the Information Age, there can sometimes be too much information. It’s important for students to learn how to distinguish reliable sources from unreliable sources as they develop literacy skills. During the pandemic, there has been a lot of false information released that contradicts public health education.
As they become more advanced readers and writers, young learners need to understand the importance of fact-checking and vetting their sources. Encouraging them to make this practice a habit is a great way to provide support.
Life and learning can’t stop during the COVID-19 school years. If you’re a teacher and in need of some professional development resources this school year check out this guide.
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