Year: 2024

Education support comprises the range of professional, administrative and technical staff within the education sector. These staff are essential to the delivery of quality education and a safe learning environment.

Encourage a positive school culture by inviting and valuing education support professionals. Make sure they are included in community events, family nights, and any other school-wide celebrations.

Supporting Students

At the end of this school year, there was a universal sigh heard from students, families and teachers across the nation. This was a tough school year — not only did many students experience social isolation and the loss of loved ones, but schools were also short-handed due to the pandemic.

Students need to feel connected and supported throughout their learning journeys. Education support staff, which include social workers and counselors, can help students navigate their personal challenges and academic needs. They can assist with mental health issues, coping with grief and trauma and helping children find a new normal at school.

Education support also helps students access the technology and resources they need to learn. They provide information about available courses, and create education plans for the long and short term. They also monitor student progress and write reports. Students often have multiple touchpoints with educational support staff during the day, so establishing relationships can be beneficial for students’ emotional and educational wellbeing.

Supporting Teachers

Education support personnel provide essential services in schools, including assisting teachers in classrooms, administering student assessments and ensuring a safe environment. However, little on-the-job training is provided for new ESPs, and the work they do can be physically demanding and emotionally draining.

One of the best ways to show that you value your educators is by giving them a voice in school decision making. It is important to give them input on things like curriculum choices, scheduling shifts and school culture plans.

Personalizing professional learning can also go a long way in keeping educators happy and engaged. Giving them time to explore topics that they are interested in and allowing them to tinker with new ideas is an effective way to help them stay excited about their job. Additionally, 1-1 coaching support from a qualified pedagogical leader has been shown to improve teacher effectiveness and keep them motivated. This type of support can be difficult to find, but a few simple changes can make all the difference.

Supporting Staff

Educators rely on a wide range of support staff to keep schools running smoothly. This can include aides, secretaries, custodial services, transportation and food services, skilled trades, health and student services, and security.

Often, little on-the-job training is needed for education support professionals. They may have previous experience in a similar role or may have completed the necessary training prior to starting their new position.

When a teacher and education support staff work together, it’s easier to make decisions about teaching strategies that will benefit students. It’s also helpful to communicate regularly so that everyone is on the same page regarding day-to-day classroom occurrences and instructional changes. This will be critical as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.

Supporting School Culture

School culture reflects and shapes the values, beliefs, expectations, and norms of the community within its walls. It influences the way students, teachers, and administrators interact with each other and make decisions about teaching and learning.

A positive school culture can have a powerful impact on student achievement and engagement. It’s crucial to foster a culture of respect and inclusivity that is characterized by open communication and collaboration. Creating a nurturing learning environment is also key. This may include providing opportunities for students to stretch their abilities and challenges in a safe, supportive environment, or introducing innovative practices like game-based learning to engage students.

A strong school culture can also help to improve teacher job satisfaction and retention, as well as boost parent and community engagement. To support these efforts, consider implementing a system that allows for regular feedback from students, parents, and teachers, as well as inviting community members to school events and meetings.

A school is a place where children are taught. It is also a way to pass down knowledge and skills from one generation to another.

Staying unoccupied throughout the day can be boring and fatal. Hence, going to school is much better because it keeps you busy and helps you learn several useful skills.

Traditional Schools

Traditional schools follow a well-established academic curriculum and stress basic educational practices that have been around for generations. They typically emphasize academic subjects such as math, science, language arts and social studies. They also stress standardized testing, which helps maintain consistent learning standards and prepare students for higher education and career paths.

They often use textbooks, which present information in a structured way and require student study and memorization. Teachers lead classroom instruction and offer lectures that explain the subject matter, encouraging student note-taking. This pedagogical model has received criticism from other currents of thought, but it is still one of the most prevalent models in educational institutions.

Traditional schools may have strict disciplinary rules and uniform policies. They may also have limited emphasis on teaching practical life skills, such as financial literacy and emotional intelligence. However, they tend to offer more enrichment activities and services such as speech therapy, counseling and special education. These benefits can offset the higher cost of tuition for families.

Public Schools

When we say public school, we generally mean schools that receive government funding and are open to the general public. They are run by local, state and sometimes federal governments. The federal government sets some rules and gives money, but most decisions are made by local school boards that choose teachers and administrators and set curriculums and goals.

Schools that are public by law must leave religion out of the classroom and can’t discriminate against students based on race, ethnicity or gender. This helps ensure that all children can get an education, even if their parents can’t afford private schools.

But some educators take the “public” idea too far and believe that they have a mandate to proselytize their own views on social issues in their classrooms. This, says the College of the Holy Cross, creates a culture of distrust and could undermine kids’ academic performance. Teachers who think this way, argue influential educational theorists like George Counts, are using their classrooms for private purposes, not the public’s.

Private Schools

Private schools are not governed by the state and often have their own board of trustees. They are usually non-profit and can be funded by tuition, charitable contributions, and grants. Some of them are religious in nature and others are secular.

The curriculum at a private school can be more focused on the educational values of the school. In addition, students may take honors or Advanced Placement classes which give them college credit. The teachers at a private school tend to have graduate degrees and professional expertise. This elevates student motivation.

Many private schools offer special extracurricular programs that include community service, yoga, art and music. Some have dormitories on campus and offer weekend activities, internship programs, and trips around the US and abroad. Private schools typically have provisions for children with behavioral issues and learning disabilities. They also have a strong focus on community and a sense of pride in the school. Many parents choose private schools for this reason.

Adult Education

The adult education sector encompasses all educational opportunities for adults outside of the formal school system. Universities, community colleges and speciality schools offer personal enrichment, academic and vocational courses. Government agencies and private businesses offer professional development training for employees to enhance productivity and improve customer satisfaction, and as a recruitment incentive. Proprietary schools and training companies seek profit from offering these courses to both employers and individuals.

Lifelong learning is important for adults because it promotes problem-solving skills and flexibility in a fast-changing economy. It also helps to stimulate the brain and reduce the risk of cognitive decline, especially as people age. It’s important to remember that adults prefer information that can be applied in their daily lives and will trust new concepts if they are based on previous experiences.

Different perspectives on adult education exist, including andragogy as a distinct type of teaching that emphasizes the unique characteristics of adult learning; a facilitation approach that aims to transform participants’ engagement with their communities and world; and the belief that adults are responsible for shaping a more just future.

Kindergarten is your child’s first experience in a structured educational environment. They will learn how to work and play cooperatively with other children. They will also learn classroom expectations, such as respecting classmates and teachers.

Kindergarten will help your child develop large motor skills through physical activities and fine motor skills with tracing and cutting. They will also learn how letters make sounds and recognize both upper and lowercase letters and their names.

Emotional Development

People think of kindergarten as a time for learning letters and numbers, but social emotional development is just as important. This is when kids learn how to interact with adults and peers, and how to work together. These skills are essential for later academic success and healthy relationships.

By kindergarten, children should be able to identify and express their emotions in constructive ways, such as using words or playing quietly. It’s also a great time to help them learn how to respect other children’s feelings and needs.

You can use natural classroom events to talk with children about emotions, such as when they are frustrated or when someone cuts in line. You can also read books that teach kids about different emotions and behaviors to encourage discussion. Playing with stuffed animals and role-playing conflict resolution situations can be helpful, too. For example, have children practice how to resolve a problem like sharing toys or taking turns.

Language and Literacy Development

As the name implies, kindergarten is a foundational year for literacy and school readiness. Kindergarten teachers focus on preparing children to read and write, but also incorporate activities for learning through play.

Children learn the alphabet and letter sounds, as well as basic math concepts like counting. Children are often eager to learn these fundamentals, and kindergarten is a great place to help them begin to develop their skills.

Oral language development is important for a child’s overall reading abilities, and Head Start and Early Head Start programs should support the growth of children’s home languages as well as English. Research shows that dual language learners (DLLs) need extra attention to develop oral language skills in their home languages, as these are the foundation for their English acquisition and later reading abilities. Hammer et al. (2009) found that DLLs who were sequential learners made more gains in their standardized English vocabulary than those who were simultaneous learners.

Thinking Skills

In kindergarten, children begin to think abstractly. They can imagine a problem and its solutions without having to engage in a hands-on cause-and-effect experiment. This helps them to solve problems and make decisions.

Parents can encourage abstract thinking by asking open-ended questions and promoting discussions. They can also help children to improve their ability to describe, compare/contrast and sequence as they learn new concepts in math, science, social studies and other subjects by providing opportunities for them to participate in these activities.

Developing critical thinking skills prepares kids to deal with uncertainty and change in the future. It empowers them to analyze a situation, consider different viewpoints and weigh pros and cons to make informed decisions, which enhances their adaptability and resilience. It also improves creativity by encouraging them to challenge existing assumptions and develop alternatives. They can then apply these creative solutions to various aspects of their life. In addition, it promotes self-reliance as they can take ownership of their choices and act independently.

Social Skills

At this age, it is critical that your child is learning to listen and understand other people. This is one of the most important social skills that they can learn, and it is often hard to do without practice. They will also be learning to play in groups, and this requires active listening.

Sharing is one of the most challenging social skills that kids must learn, but it is a vital skill to develop for a good academic career and overall well-being. It will take time and a lot of patience to help them learn this skill. They will probably make mistakes, and this is OK as we all learn from our mistakes.

The kindergarten classroom is more structured than preschool, and children will receive regular progress reports and parent-teacher conferences. Teachers will be able to identify specific social behaviors and coach them through problem-solving techniques. For example, if a student has trouble concentrating or following directions, they may need to be taught how to self-regulate by focusing their attention or managing their emotions.

Students requiring reading intervention often demonstrate scores below their age group peers on various reading assessments. These students receive supplemental instruction that accelerates their progress toward grade level proficiency.

Motivate struggling readers by giving them opportunities to choose their own books. This increases student ownership of their reading and allows them to read at levels that match their ability.

Phonics

The ability to decode words is a prerequisite to reading, so it’s no surprise that phonics is a crucial part of any reading intervention program. This is especially true when working with young students, where systematic and explicit phonics instruction has been shown to be significantly more effective than non-systematic instruction.

A solid foundation in phonics provides struggling readers with the tools they need to access new text. This allows them to read more quickly and accurately, so they can focus on comprehension and vocabulary development.

Phonics instruction should be systematic and explicit, covering all major letter-sound relationships in a planned sequence. It should also include teaching phonological awareness, blending, and segmenting. It’s important to start with vowels and short-vowel sounds, then move on to consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words, and then progress to multisyllabic words. A high-utility vocabulary is also critical for early reading success. For this reason, Wiley Blevins stresses the importance of incorporating a range of vocabulary activities in early literacy instruction.

Fluency

Fluency is the ability to read quickly and effortlessly. Students who struggle with reading fluency can often feel overwhelmed by their slow pace, which makes comprehension difficult.

To determine if a student needs a fluency intervention, educators can compare the student’s words-corrected-per-minute score on grade-level assessment passages to oral reading fluency norms. This can help teachers identify which skills need to be targeted and what intervention programs to recommend for a student.

Research shows that interventions that improve fluency, such as Repeated Reading, are effective. This involves reading short, meaningful passages multiple times to improve accuracy and speed. Other effective fluency strategies include paired reading, where two students read the same text simultaneously with a more proficient reader who provides corrective feedback; and assisted reading, which allows students to practice prosody (intonation, emphasis, phrasing, rhythm) in a supportive environment. In addition, students can practice their fluency in the context of meaningful activities such as drama through Reader’s Theater.

Comprehension

The reading comprehension process is a multifaceted process that requires readers to recognize and decode words, to attach meaning, and to synthesize information across sections of text. Many students with dyslexia struggle with word recognition, which can restrict their cognitive resources available for comprehending text.

It is important to support children in constructing meaning when they encounter new or difficult material. Strategies like predicting, questioning, clarifying and summarizing can help students understand the text. Using visual images to represent what is being read is another way to increase comprehension.

Educators can use a variety of strategies to support comprehension development including paired reading, book clubs and grand conversations. Providing students with opportunities to practice the strategies in a social context can also facilitate comprehension. Research has shown that a text-processing comprehension intervention that uses a combination of think alouds and student self-reflection with grade-level informational science texts produces significant gains on proximal measures. However, it did not produce meaningful or statistically significant differences on standardized measures of comprehension.

Vocabulary

In reading comprehension instruction, vocabulary is a key component. Research shows that students must have a deep, shared understanding of the words they encounter in order to comprehend their text. Vocabulary development is a critical part of reading intervention, and teachers can use explicit instruction to target specific words with the goal of improving comprehension.

It is important to teach high utility vocabulary (tier two words) and academic language, such as morphology (roots and combining forms, prefixes, suffixes). In addition, it is crucial to teach words in clusters and to connect them to texts with judicious review and multiple exposures.

To improve vocabulary knowledge, it is helpful to provide students with explicit word instruction before, during, and after a reading passage. Students who receive this word instruction perform better on post-tests than students who do not receive the instruction. Additionally, this instruction can support the acquisition of metacognitive strategies that help students clarify their own confusion during a read aloud or independent reading.

Kids learn in many ways, including physically, socially, emotionally and through language and cognitive (thinking) skills. They also develop their personalities by interacting with other kids in school.

Providing children with quality education yields significant medium- and long-term benefits for them and society as a whole. This is why it is so important to give kids every opportunity to learn.

Socialization

Socialization is the process of learning the expected behaviours and values of individuals who occupy particular roles in society. The major agents of socialization include the family, school, and other social institutions such as religion and the legal system. Socialization also involves learning about different cultures.

The first step in socialization is to learn what is acceptable to others in a given culture. For example, children in a particular culture are socialized to say the Pledge of Allegiance and study history from certain perspectives. These lessons prepare them for life in a specific country and cultural environment.

Families are the first major agents of socialization. They teach children how to behave and what is important in life. They also help children develop a sense of identity. They can also influence gender socialization, such as when they see TV shows that depict women shopping and men playing sports. Peers can also play a role in gender socialization, as well as media that promote antisocial activities like delinquency.

Learning how to think for themselves

A quality education is essential for children’s development and future success. It empowers them with knowledge to make healthy choices and participate in civic life. It also improves their health, boosts their economic opportunities and reduces poverty in society. Educated people drive innovation and societal progress, which benefits all citizens.

Many parents believe in a “follow the recipe” approach to child education, but this method does not encourage children to think for themselves. Children need adequate challenge, space and time to explore their ideas and to evaluate their decisions before acting. It is important to teach them that everyone makes mistakes, and it is not a sign of weakness when they do. Instead, we should encourage them to learn from their mistakes and to seek out new challenges. This is known as experiential learning, and it is an integral part of the development of cognitive skills. In addition, it is a way to develop empathy and self-esteem.

Learning about different cultures

Learning about different cultures can be a valuable part of children’s education. It promotes a multicultural society and teaches children to value people who are different from them. It also helps them develop critical thinking skills and build resilience. Moreover, it fosters cognitive development and nurtures socialization skills. It can help children become more aware of the world around them and prepares them for future careers in a globalized society.

It is important for educators to understand the role of culture in learning. This knowledge is vital to their professional lives as it allows them to better assess children’s performance and understanding of information. It can also improve academic outcomes. For example, children who learn about other cultures may have more positive self-concepts than those who are not exposed to diverse influences. Similarly, children who are encouraged to spend time helping their family members or interacting with their neighbors tend to do better in school than those who watch educational TV.

Learning how to communicate with others

Learning how to communicate with others is one of the most important skills that children will learn. It will help them express their feelings and develop a sense of self. It will also help them develop a better understanding of the world around them.

Children begin communicating at birth, with their sounds and gestures. This communication process continues throughout their childhood as they learn to crawl, walk, and talk. They will also learn about shapes, colors, numbers, items, and people.

As they grow older, children will start to play pretend and interact with other kids. This will teach them how to listen to other people’s points of view and use their imagination.

Encourage their inquisitive nature by planning experiences for collaborative learning and teamwork. You can also bring in speakers and plan group conversations that allow children to ask questions. You can also encourage their reading skills by providing a wide selection of literature that includes different reading levels, subjects, genres, and formats.

Education support is a diverse field that can be tailored to the needs and contexts of learners, educators, and educational systems. It can take on many forms, including tutoring, mentoring, counseling, coaching, guidance, and feedback.

These services can help students overcome academic, personal, or emotional challenges that may hinder their learning and development. They can also help strengthen educational institutions and systems.

1. Identify your needs and goals.

Identifying your educational needs and goals is a crucial first step in the process of finding and using education support services. These services can help you overcome challenges and achieve success in a variety of ways, including through tutoring, mentoring, coaching, counseling, and other forms of guidance and assistance.

In order to be effective, education support services should be integrated and collaborative and should connect learners with relevant resources, opportunities, and networks. They should also be aligned with learners’ interests, values, and priorities.

Finally, they should promote innovation and experimentation with new models and methods of education support services. This will help to increase their effectiveness, accessibility, and impact. It will also ensure that they remain relevant, responsive, and empowering for learners and educators alike.

2. Research your options.

Education support services may be provided by a variety of organizations, including schools, universities, and community-based and private providers. These services can include tutoring, counseling, disability support, career guidance, and educational technology. Learners can use a range of tools to research their options, including asking teachers and counselors for recommendations or searching online for reviews and ratings.

Education support services need to be based on evidence and data, and they must be transparent and accountable. They must also be well-coordinated and collaborative, and they must involve learners and educators in their planning and implementation. This can be done by establishing clear roles and responsibilities, communication channels, and referral systems among service providers, and by conducting ongoing monitoring and evaluation of education support services. Additionally, learning support services should be adapted to the needs and preferences of learners. This can be done by providing personalized and customizable education support services, and by using innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, augmented reality, blockchain, and gamification.

3. Engage with the service.

Having access to education support services can help students to engage with their learning, prevent disengagement and remain in school. These services can also support student attendance and academic/learning outcomes during periods of illness.

Broad public engagement is vital for the success of schools, as it sends a message that people recognize the value and importance of their work and can offer needed support. It also encourages teachers and students to work harder, as they know that they are supported by a community that values their efforts.

This kind of engagement must be seen as a fundamental part of overall development strategies, and it must involve families, communities and students widely and actively as both beneficiaries and contributors. It must include a clear sense of urgency and be based on a vision of success along the entire education continuum from pre-k through college graduation. Building local consensus requires a common goal and strategy, as well as a regular monitoring system to ensure progress toward that goal is being made.

4. Support your child’s unique needs.

When it comes to education support, every child is unique and has different needs. It is important to understand these differences and find the right service for your child.

This may involve establishing clear roles and responsibilities, communication channels, and referral systems among educators and students. It may also require involving students and educators in the coordination, delivery, and evaluation of education support services.

Kinesthetic learners learn best when they can move and explore. They benefit from hands-on activities, lab classes, props, field trips, arts and crafts, and even sports.

Students with learning challenges benefit from a wide variety of education support services, including tutoring, extracurricular activities, and mentoring programs. They also need help finding the right balance between school and home life.

Be sure to learn as much as you can about the schools in your area. Look at the information they send home, and ask for it in your native language if necessary.

Schools are places where children learn about the world around them. They also help prepare students for their futures. They can choose classes that match their interests and boost their talents. They can also make friends and participate in school sports.

Attending events for incoming families can give you a feel for the school. You can ask questions about how well your child is learning and how the staff handles behavior problems.

Education

Schools have a number of manifest and latent functions. One manifest function is education, which provides a pedagogical environment in which students can acquire knowledge and enhance their cognitive skills. In addition, many schools offer social services to help students cope with emotional and psychological issues, and provide physical education courses to promote healthy lifestyles.

The educational system also serves a variety of cultural purposes, including teaching students about their own culture and promoting cultural tolerance. This is especially important in an increasingly cosmopolitan world where multiculturalism is the norm.

Finally, a key economic purpose of schools is to nurture a well-educated workforce that can compete in the global marketplace and enable a country to grow economically. This is a major reason why governments fund schools and make education compulsory under the law in some countries. However, poverty is a barrier to school attendance, and it is difficult for people who lack financial resources to benefit from the educational system.

Religion

Many religious schools promote a sense of community among students and teachers through religious activities, such as charity drives. In addition, students can learn about other religions and cultures in a non-judgmental environment. The inherent discipline in religious teachings can also help prevent bullying and other harmful behavior. Some studies have even found that student religiosity is associated with academic achievement.

However, it’s important to remember that religion in schools can also present challenges, including the potential for bias and questions of inclusivity. While a religious education can help promote moral values and foster social cohesion, it’s essential to consider how it may affect other beliefs and practices. For example, Jewish and Muslim American students must often navigate school policies regarding things like head coverings, and it’s important for educators to be aware of the impact these practices may have on their students. This way, students can feel free to express their own beliefs without fear of being discriminated against.

Personality

Students spend a significant amount of time in school, so it is important that they have a strong personality. Personality development programs are essential for student success, as they help them develop the necessary skills for academic achievement. Personality is a key predictor of student outcomes, and studies have shown that it correlates with both academic performance and well-being.

Moreover, personality is malleable, which means that it can be changed through interventions. Several researchers have explored the role of personality in education, but some have criticized the current state of research on the topic. For example, they may overlook the fact that personality is a complex trait and focus on just a few facets.

Another issue is the difficulty of measuring personality in a school setting. There are many different personality measures, and they range in length, number of facets measured, and data availability. Educational researchers should use the most appropriate scale for their study design.

Socialization

School socialization is the process by which children acquire skills that promote empathy and self-reliance, enabling them to engage with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures. Children who have effective communication skills are better able to build healthy relationships, and are more likely to understand other perspectives and viewpoints. This can lead to a greater respect for other cultures and reduce prejudice in the community.

School teachers and classroom environments play an important role in socialization. Studies have shown that students with positive relationships with their teachers are more likely to view schools as supportive communities and less like institutions of punishment. This is particularly true for students from disadvantaged families who may be at risk of delinquent behaviour.

Other school socialization occurs in the form of interaction with peer groups. Peer groups typically consist of classmates who share similar lifestyle characteristics, and are known by names such as “jocks” for students who participate in a lot of sports or “nerds” for students who excel academically.

Kindergarten is where children make the transition from preschool to a formal educational environment. This early exposure to school’s social dynamics, schedules, and expectations enables them to quickly adapt to learning challenges that may otherwise feel overwhelming.

Moreover, kindergarten provides opportunities to sharpen children’s ability to think critically and solve problems. It also fosters their creativity and imagination.

Preparing for Kindergarten

Many parents worry about whether their kids are ready for kindergarten. It’s important to remember that every child develops at a different pace. While age is one factor, other considerations include a child’s social and emotional development as well as their cognitive and physical growth.

A kindergarten curriculum builds on concepts taught in preschool and focuses on developing school readiness skills. Teachers use a structured but flexible classroom schedule.

Children who can greet each other with a “Hello,” ask for help when needed, and negotiate with peers do well in kindergarten. Parents can help their kids develop these social skills with play dates, play-based preschool, and out in the community by letting them order their own food at restaurants or book at a library and by practicing basic life skills such as washing hands and using the bathroom independently.

Kindergarten also requires that children have a good understanding of their basic numbers and letters. Parents can help their kids develop these skills by talking regularly with them, reading to them, and asking them questions (such as “what are the days of the week?”). This back-and-forth communication helps develop their vocabulary.

The Academic Year

In the United States, kindergarten is typically the first year of formal education. The age requirements vary from state to state (and from school district to private school), but most require a child to be at least 5 years old to begin kindergarten.

Children who attend kindergarten are more prepared for elementary school, according to a 2019 study by the Learning Policy Institute. Additionally, they are less likely to be held back in grade school.

In North Korea, children go to kindergarten from ages four or five to six before moving on to primary school. In Luxembourg, the term Spillschoulen is used to refer to a public school attended between ages four or five until children advance to Grondschoulen (elementary school).

Froebel schools were filled with gifts and occupations for students to play with, including sculpting, painting, lacing and folding, among others. Discussion is also a major part of kindergarten learning, as children are encouraged to reflect on their day and share with their classmates.

The Social Year

Children in kindergarten build upon what they have learned in preschool, and their social skills are refined as they interact with peers and teachers. They learn how to share and play cooperatively with others, and they work to understand their emotions in healthy ways.

Friedrich Froebel opened the first kindergarten in 1837, and his philosophy of children’s emotional and spiritual development remains a cornerstone of modern kindergarten classrooms. Unlike traditional school, kindergarten classrooms emphasize learning through play and offer a wide variety of ‘areas’ to encourage exploration and creativity.

The Voluntary Social Year offers young people the opportunity to volunteer in social institutions such as kindergartens, retirement homes and schools. The people they accompany benefit from having committed volunteers, and the volunteers gain valuable experience while figuring out their next career step. Our society also benefits from the commitment of young people who have found a sense of purpose through their voluntary year.

The Physical Year

For many children, kindergarten is their first experience with a classroom. They may feel nervous and not ready, or excited and eager to go. Parents may also be concerned about how well their child can pay attention and manage their emotions and behaviors.

The word kindergarten means “children’s garden.” Froebel designed his school with gifts and occupations that were meant to foster imagination, creativity and ingenuity, just like plants in a garden grow. Kindergartens grew in popularity and eventually spread throughout Europe, America, Asia and Australia. Elizabeth Peabody founded the first English-language kindergarten in 1860. By 1873, St. Louis had the first public school kindergarten in America.

Kindergarten is an important part of a child’s early education. It allows kids to become more independent as they learn the social and academic skills they need for later success. Talk with your child about his expectations for kindergarten to help make the transition a smooth one. Children need 10 to 11 hours of restful sleep each night to be ready for kindergarten.

Most school boards use unreliable and invalid assessments to determine which students should receive reading intervention. Those who score low on the assessment are placed in programs that don’t provide strong evidence-based foundational skills instruction.

These programs often include Lexia Core 5 and Wilson Language Training, both of which are tier 2 interventions. They instruct students in the five critical strands of reading instruction (phonics, decoding, word recognition and spelling, fluency and comprehension).

Phonics

Phonics involves students learning the relationship between sounds (phonemes) and written spelling patterns, or graphemes. Students then use this knowledge to decode new words and spell words, which is known as segmenting and blending.

These skills are foundational in reading, as they allow children to access text and make meaning. Without phonics skills, struggling readers are often limited in the amount of new text they can read independently.

The inquiry boards’ most frequent early interventions often do not include explicit instruction in phonics, but rather focus on strategies that promote student independence (meaning clues, structural clues and visual cues). This can lead to frustration for students who are unable to read beyond their current skill level. For this reason, it is important that the appropriate phonics program be available for use in the earliest grades (Kindergarten – Grade 1 ideally) and be used as the core of Reading intervention programs. Fortunately, there are several evidence-based phonics programs available in Ontario.

Word Recognition

When children read, they use their knowledge of word structure and phonology to decode words. But to really read for meaning, they must recognize the words and apply meaning to them. This requires automatic word recognition.

One of the ways to improve word recognition is to teach kids sight recognition of common, high-frequency words. This helps them to recognize these words quickly when they come across them in a text without having to sound them out or look for clues from the surrounding words and sentences.

Another way to improve word recognition is to teach them strategies for recognizing words with similar initial sounds, such as rhymes or homonyms. These are known as sound-letter correspondences and they help the reader to match up the individual letters in a new word with familiar ones already stored in memory. The size of a word’s neighborhood in the lexicon, or how close it is to other words with similar initial sounds or phonetic segments, also influences word recognition.

Fluency

As students progress through school, their reading skills need to be further refined and consolidated. This is where Fluency comes in. Fluency is a dynamic process that requires regular practice, immersion and engagement.

This board-developed intervention approach involves students who score low on a screening test working with a teacher, speech-language pathologist (SLP) or other educator for a set period of time. Typically, it includes explicit instruction and focused practice of core phonics skills to develop word reading accuracy.

This reading fluency intervention is designed for students with an accuracy need related to reading paragraphs and stories. It uses a combination of Sight Word Flashcards and Sight Word Bingo to increase the number of correctly read sight words in connected text.

Comprehension

Comprehension is a reading skill that encourages students to extract the meaning from a text. It’s a key component of the National Curriculum, and helps to prevent children from “passive reading” where they read words on a page without thinking about their meaning.

Using read-alouds, teachers can model comprehension strategies such as questioning and making connections. These skills can be taught as part of a whole-class approach, or more individually through interventions such as a one-to-one session with a teacher or speech-language pathologist.

The key to improving comprehension is repeated exposure to texts and teaching students how to use reading strategies to build knowledge from text. Strategies can include questioning, visualizing, monitoring and clarifying, inferring, and identifying important details. When teaching comprehension, be sure to choose texts appropriate for a student’s grade level and provide them with opportunities to build understanding of those texts through before-, during- and after-reading activities.

Children are naturally inquisitive, and their early thinking is insightful and complex. However, their capacities are often underestimated by researchers and practitioners. For example, a belief that infants lack conceptual knowledge can lead educators to focus on concrete activities and deprive children of opportunities to advance their conceptual frameworks.

Children are better able to learn when they feel safe, supported and engaged with others. This is why education plays such a vital role in their lives.

Socialization

School is where children spend most of their time and is a major source of socialization. In addition to learning subject-matter content, students learn how to behave in a particular way that meets the expectations of society. This is referred to as secondary socialization.

Children’s socialization is also influenced by their teachers, classmates and other adults. The hidden curriculum includes the development of skills such as classroom discipline, dealing with bureaucracies and being able to wait for your turn. It also involves learning about a range of topics, including a child’s cultural expectations and gender stereotypes.

Research has shown that youth who are surrounded by peers who share their interests are more likely to be socially and emotionally healthy. This is particularly important during the pandemic when school closures have stifled opportunities for youth to meet with their friends.

Patience

Patience is an important part of children’s education, especially as they grow up and learn to deal with everyday annoyances. Patience is a skill that enables people to delay gratification and focus on the bigger picture. It is a positive attribute that promotes compassion and empathy. It also helps people to understand that life is not all about them – their needs and desires.

You can request a special education reevaluation by writing to your child’s school or the CSE. The CSE will then schedule a meeting with you to explain your rights and discuss what other strategies might be appropriate for your child. The meeting will include a social worker and, if necessary, an interpreter. The school physician will attend the meeting if requested by you.

Self-esteem

Self-esteem is a key part of children’s education. It influences their decision-making process, relationships, emotional health, and motivation to learn. It also affects their ability to deal with challenges and set goals for themselves. Children’s self-esteem typically rises through childhood and adolescence, then stabilizes in adulthood.

During this stage, children develop their understanding of the world and their place in it. They become less egocentric and more aware of other people’s feelings. They are also able to regulate their emotions better. Children’s early capacities to self-regulate their emotions are limited, so educators must offer them a high degree of emotional support. They should also teach them how to express their thoughts and feelings in healthy ways. This will help them build a strong sense of resilience and self-respect.

Brain development

The brain is actively engaged in learning from birth and continues to be so throughout life. The learning that occurs during the first five years is critical for children’s future academic achievement. The quality of a child’s learning depends on many factors, including their genetics and the environment in which they live. Children learn most effectively in caring relationships and optimal community environments.

Caring relationships provide the emotional predictability necessary for babies and toddlers to develop their understanding of themselves, other people, and objects in their environment. In addition, they help them to self-regulate and manage their emotions. These developmental skills support children’s cognitive development and are as important as subject-matter knowledge. They are often called noncognitive skills, although they are more formally known as the social and emotional aspects of learning.

Diversity

It is important for children to learn about diversity from an early age. This builds inclusivity and helps counter bias and stereotypes. It also encourages cognitive flexibility by teaching kids to adapt to new situations, which is crucial for future success.

Studies show that kids who have exposure to different cultures are less likely to develop prejudiced beliefs. It is important to teach children about cultural differences and that everyone has something unique to offer the world. Encourage children to ask questions about other people’s cultures and traditions, and show them that it is okay to be curious. They will learn that no two people are the same, and it is a positive thing to celebrate! Children who learn about diversity will be better able to live in a globalized society.