In the photo above, a young student is working on schoolwork in a virtual classroom setting. Source: (Young, 2021).
As we should all know by now, COVID-19 put a damper on our lives. Whether that be a loved one that you lost, a job or school opportunity that was missed, or even having something you were looking forward to being cancelled, it affected all of us. Education was something that dramatically changed because of COVID-19. Most, if not all students felt that change. One group of students that are being affected are elementary students. Since March of 2020, the learning environments have been transforming and students have been needing to adapt. While some young children have done okay with all the change, others have been struggling with learning the basics, such as reading and writing. This has led to negative effects on their social wellness.
Why has Social Wellness Been Affected?
Imagine it is your first day of kindergarten. This is a whole new exciting time in a student’s life where they get to learn and meet all new people. Now instead of being in a classroom, imagine you are staring at a screen, listening to your teacher try to explain numbers and letters to you from miles away, with no real human connection. That can be hard for a student at any age, but especially the young ones, who need and would benefit from “lots of movement and exploration” (Hinton, 2020). Hands-on learning environments are key to developing certain skills such as thinking, problem solving, listening, and even the basics like using pencils and scissors.
Going Back to the Classroom
With it now being 2022, students can be back in the classroom. Students who started kindergarten in 2020 are now in the second grade. Certain studies have shown that mental health problems in students have increased since the pandemic (US Department of Health and Human Services, n.d.). With the structure of learning drastically changing, some children are falling behind in school, and it has caused them greater stress and anxiety. They have a harder time making friends and often times teachers are experiencing “crying and disruptive behavior” from the students (Vestal, 2021). It’s a truly new environment for them and with all the students not being at the same point in their learning, it can be difficult for not only teachers but parents as well. A survey was conducted in 2020 in order to get an idea of how elementary students were doing in school. The survey showed that in November 2020, “73.5% of teachers spent more time reviewing material from the previous grade compared to any other year” (Goodrich et al., 2022). This ultimately creates a huge setback for all students and trying to close that academic gap can be mentally draining for both the teachers and students. Nobody wants to see their child experience that decrease in social wellness along with having a hard time learning so provided below are some helpful tips and tricks to get your little ones in the groove of school.
Helpful Tips for Parents
- Keep your child in a steady daily schedule.
- Help your child work through homework problems without getting upset with them or doing it for them.
- Build a relationship with your child’s teacher.
- Set up one on one tutoring for your child
- Create opportunities for your child to socialize (Hinton, 2020).
Examples: community centers, after school sports program, summer camps, local library and parks, school sponsored events, set up playdates, etc.
- Create at home projects so the child can explore and engage in new activities, if learning virtually.
Examples: crafts, science experiments, wilderness scavenger hunts, educational games, obstacle courses, etc.
In Conclusion
Helping students succeed is a number one priority for parents. There needs to be a healthy balance between helping your child work through problems and encouraging them to do it on their own. Social wellness is a big aspect in the development of these children and needs to be discussed more. With COVID-19 having such a large grasp on our daily lives, it is time to move our focus back to helping the social wellness of our students.
References
Goodrich, J. M., Hebert, M., & Namkung, J. M. (2022). Impacts of the -19 pandemic on Elementary School Teachers’ practices and perceptions across the spring and fall 2020 semesters. Frontiers in Education, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.793285
Hinton, M. (2020, October 21). Why teaching kindergarten online is so very, very hard. Edutopia. Retrieved October 2, 2022, from https://www.edutopia.org/article/why-teaching-kindergarten-online-so-very-very-hard
Peters, D. (2017, April 4). Does your child need a tutor? Today's Parent. Retrieved October 16, 2022, from https://www.todaysparent.com/family/does-your-child-need-a-tutor/
Northwestern University. (n.d.). Social Wellness: Wellness at Northwestern. Retrieved October 2, 2022, from https://www.northwestern.edu/wellness/8-dimensions/social-wellness.html
ECLKC. (2022, June 10). The importance of schedules and routines. Retrieved October 2, 2022, from https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/about-us/article/importance-schedules-routines
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Mental health. National Institutes of Health. Retrieved November 4, 2022, from https://covid19.nih.gov/covid-19-topics/mental-health
Vestal, C. (2021, November 9). Covid Harmed Kids' mental health-and schools are feeling it. COVID Harmed Kids' Mental Health-And Schools Are Feeling It | The Pew Charitable Trusts. Retrieved October 2, 2022, from https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2021/11/08/covid-harmed-kids-mental-health-and-schools-are-feeling-it
Young, J. (2021). 11 Tips for Teaching Preschool Online. Edutopia. Retrieved October 2, 2022, from https://www.edutopia.org/article/11-tips-teaching-preschool-online.