COVID Learning Loss Is Real

The COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating effects on our well-being that linger years after the virus first spread among humans. We already know that mental health declined significantly during the pandemic, especially among young people. The pandemic also led to the increased prevalence of sleep problems and eating disorders. [Read more…]

The Benefits of Mindfulness Education In Schools

You have heard by now that teens in the U.S. are struggling with mental health more than ever before. A survey from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted in 2021 found 44% of teens experienced feelings of sadness or hopelessness that prevented them from participating in normal activities. Almost 20% of teens said they had considered suicide, and 9% said they attempted suicide. Research finds these problems are more pronounced among lesbian, gay, and bisexual teens. [Read more…]

How Kids Learn To Read

Even though it’s the dog days of summer vacation, many schools across the country are getting ready to bring students back into the classroom — and that means giving serious thought to the best ways to teach the youngest students to read. [Read more…]

To Better Learn, Students Must First Fail

For years, educators have followed a model of explaining a new concept, then letting students practice. Think of a typical math class: the teacher will introduce an idea, do some example problems on the blackboard, and then ask students to practice similar problems on their own. [Read more…]

How to Offer Mental Health Interventions in School

An anxious teenager in study hallApproximately one in six youth ages six to seventeen in the U.S. have a mental illness; depression, anxiety and behavior disorders are among the most common. Data suggest that youth today are five times more likely to experience mental health problems compared to decades past. Today, the uncertainty that comes along with the COVID-19 pandemic is certainly detracting from students’ mental health and well-being. [Read more…]

The Silver Lining of Virtual Learning During COVID-19

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Children are heading back to school this month in many states across the nation. In most school districts, this is the first time that kids have been inside school buildings since COVID-19 spread across the U.S. in March. [Read more…]

What We Know About Summer Learning Loss: An Update

WavebreakmediaMicro/Adobe StockKids in the U.S. are well into the lazy days of summer.

Summer vacation – and in some cases, distance learning that felt like summer vacation! – started early this year for many youths when schools closed to slow the spread of the corona virus. For most kids, summer vacation marks a time when they are less engaged in educational pursuits like reading, math and problem solving. And with camps and day cares closed in many parts of the country, more kids than ever are spending extra time at home, and likely in front of screens. [Read more…]

What We Know About Distance Learning

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Schools across the nation have been closed for weeks, and many are attempting to teach students staying at home as the nation works to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. [Read more…]

The Evidence on How Kids Learn To Read

Reading is an essential life skill that predicts success on many levels later in life. There is clear evidence demonstrating that young people who do not learn to read proficiently are more likely to live in poverty, achieve a lower educational level, and become involved with the criminal justice system. [Read more…]

When Parents Read to Kids, Everyone Wins

It’s no surprise that when parents read to their kids, it helps them succeed in school. [Read more…]

The Summer Slump: Do Kids Backslide During Summer Vacation?

Kids across the nation are well into summer days of swimming, day camps and – in many cases – extra time in front of TVs. For most children, this also means less time engaged in educational pursuits like reading, math and problem solving. [Read more…]

In preschool, quality counts the most

In elementary school and beyond, the stakes for students are higher than ever before. Third-graders are practicing algebra. Standardized testing is more and more important. Even kindergartners often forgo play-time to work on reading and writing. As a result, preschool programs are increasingly focused on getting kids ready for elementary school. [Read more…]

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