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Love Your School helps families choose the best educational options for their children. These can include tuition tax credits, empowerment scholarships, microschools, and homeschooling.

Students learn better when they are taught lessons that are relevant to their lives. They also thrive when teachers convey high expectations and support, letting them know they are capable.

Supporting Teachers

The beginning of the school year is an exciting time for everyone, including teachers and those who support them. During this time of new beginnings, it’s important that all parties keep in mind high-leverage strategies to help students succeed throughout the year.

Education supporters are the backbone of any educational institution. They work in various roles from paraeducators and administrative assistants to custodians, bus drivers, and security and technology workers. They perform a number of tasks including classroom observations and making notes that can help improve teaching techniques.

As a leader, you can help them feel supported by providing professional development opportunities that are relevant to their needs and interests. This could include workshops, conferences, and in-person training sessions. Also, you can help them maintain a positive work environment by offering rewards and recognition for their efforts. This will allow them to be more comfortable pushing themselves and will increase their overall performance. In addition, you can encourage their success by being available for questions or concerns they may have.

Creating a Positive Learning Environment

The physical, social and emotional environment in which students learn has a direct impact on both their academic achievement and their overall wellbeing. A positive learning environment provides a supportive foundation from which students can build confidence and thrive.

Students are more likely to succeed in classrooms where they feel a sense of belonging, and there are a variety of strategies teachers can use to create a welcoming atmosphere within the first days, weeks, and months of class. These can include community-building activities, a warm demeanor, and constructive messages about student success.

Creating a positive learning environment can also be as simple as a teacher bringing in cupcakes after the class achieves a goal, or allowing students to have a break while they work. Even these small gestures can make a big difference in how students are motivated and engaged, helping them to feel supported in their learning. To learn more about how to create a positive learning environment, read this article that outlines practical SEL-supporting ways for both teachers and directors.

Supporting Students with Disabilities or Special Needs

Students with disabilities often experience barriers to their learning. These can be physical, like lack of accessibility, or psychological, such as low self-esteem and difficulty forming friendships. In addition, they may not be receiving the specialized teaching and education that is recommended by their Individualized Education Program or 504 Plan.

To help them learn, teachers must understand how students with disabilities learn best. For example, visual learners may do better with written directions, diagrams, maps and charts. Auditory learners may benefit from lecture-based instruction, spoken directions and study groups. Using these strategies can help them engage with their curriculum and achieve success.

They also need to be taught social skills so they can interact with their peers. Teaching them to greet their classmates, ask permission and take turns can improve their ability to function in school. In addition, they should be given positive reinforcement to promote their efforts and build confidence. This can be especially important when a student is struggling.

Supporting Parents

Parents are the frontline public health workers who nurture and support children, promote healthy behaviors, ensure their children receive appropriate care, and help them learn how to stay healthy. They are also often the main source of information about their child’s health and development, especially when they have limited resources.

Parents’ knowledge and attitudes about parenting are shaped by their beliefs, experiences, and expectations (e.g., from family and friends, community members, or cultural communities) and by the availability of supports to help them meet their goals and responsibilities as parents.

Parents can feel isolated and unsupported when they become working parents, especially in work cultures that prioritize long hours and travel. Offer parental leave, flexible scheduling, childcare stipends and other ways to give employees the resources they need to balance work with life. Education Support (previously Teacher Support Network, Recourse and Worklife Support Partnership) is a UK charity that champions the mental health and wellbeing of teachers, teachers’ assistants, higher and further education lecturers, and school leaders.

Attending school gives children and teenagers a chance to learn a variety of subjects. It also helps them develop social skills and learn how to interact with others.

However, these are not the only reasons to choose a particular school. Many other factors must be considered. In this article, we will discuss some of the most important considerations.

History

Historically, schools have been important places where students practice taking responsibility for their own work and behavior. This is a crucial skill that will translate into future jobs, where students are required to meet deadlines, manage group projects and keep track of their own progress.

School also teaches students about different subjects, such as science, math and literature. This helps them explore areas of interest and find careers they are passionate about. School is a great place for young people to spend time with friends and learn new things, without worrying about getting into trouble.

After the Revolutionary War, schools were established to promote national unity and instill Protestant values. Horace Mann introduced a system of public education, leading to the establishment of teacher-training institutions known as normal schools (named for the Ecole Normale Superieure in France). The 19th century saw a rise in compulsory education to encourage social stability and to instill national values, including obedience and discipline.

Purpose

A school is an institution where children learn under instruction. It may be a single classroom or an entire education system, ranging from kindergarten through college:

The word also refers to a particular group of writers, artists, or thinkers whose work and opinions share a common style: the modern school; the Florentine school.

One of the manifest functions of schools is social control: to teach students respect for authority and conformity with rules. This is especially important when a student moves from the school environment to the workplace, where his or her life will continue to be dominated by people in positions of authority.

A secondary function of schools is economic development: to prepare students for jobs. This has become more prominent since the Industrial Revolution in Great Britain and North America, with some economists like Adam Smith advocating mass schooling as a necessary precondition for free-market economies. Others oppose this view, arguing that schools should instead encourage active civic engagement.

Types

In countries that have systems of formal education, students attend schools from early childhood through secondary school. These can be public or private.

The most common type of school is a traditional public school, which gets its funding from local and state government sources and must accept all students from within the district. However, there are other types of public school as well including charter schools and magnet schools, which focus on specific subjects and may have selective admissions.

Another major type of school is a maintained or private school, which is run and managed by the local council but adheres to a national curriculum. These may also include academies or free schools, which are similar to state schools and cannot select students based on ability, but have the flexibility to deviate from the national curriculum. There are also independent schools, which receive tuition payments from parents and operate independently from the government. Some of these have religious affiliations and are coed, while others are single sex.

Locations

When choosing a home, some families search for houses near schools. They find that living close to a school offers convenience and lowers the costs of commuting. Others fear the noise and traffic associated with schools and choose to live farther away from them.

Schools often have racks, fields and playgrounds that the community can use when students aren’t on site. This allows families to take advantage of community amenities while keeping their children safe.

However, schools located in suburban and rural areas are more likely to be close to busy roads. This can contribute to high levels of air pollution and noise near schools, especially when students are traveling to and from class. This is a concern that can be addressed by reducing vehicle emissions and through urban planning/policy efforts to reduce automobile use. Currently, many schools are located too close to roadways, and it is important that future school sites be set back from these busy roadways.

Kindergarten introduces children to the fundamentals of reading, writing and math in a fun, hands-on way. It also helps them develop cognitive skills, such as problem-solving and logical reasoning.

By the end of kindergarten, kids should know all the letters and their sounds, and they’ll be able to read high-frequency sight words.

Physical Development

Children develop physically at a very rapid rate and kindergarten provides many opportunities for them to engage with their bodies in ways they haven’t before. This physical development is a necessary foundation for other areas of learning – it increases strength, muscle control and coordination. It also contributes to cognitive development – as they interact with their environments children learn about the properties of objects and their own capabilities.

During this time, children cultivate their gross motor skills, or large muscle movements such as standing and walking, and they develop their fine motor skills, which involve the coordination of small muscle movements such as drawing, threading, or pressing. These movements are supported by the Experience Curriculum, which offers children an opportunity to explore their environment while engaging in activities that stimulate and challenge their growing muscles.

As a result, children’s balance and posture improve and they may begin to grasp concepts of symmetry and measurement. As children progress through this stage, it is important for educators and parents to provide regular feedback on their growth.

Social Development

The social-emotional skills that children develop in kindergarten prepare them for learning, forming relationships and navigating their emotions. These skills include prosocial behaviors (helping others, being kind to peers and adults), classroom behavior and self-regulation.

Unlike preschool, kindergarten is typically structured much like a formal classroom with a set curriculum and regular progress updates and parent-teacher conferences. Teachers are able to identify and help kids who may be struggling academically or socially.

Using a latent class growth model, we found that the home-rearing environment and demographic characteristics of kindergarten students predict distinct trajectories in their social skills development. Girls have a higher-level trajectory of social skills throughout kindergarten, while boys have a slightly lower-level trajectory. These findings suggest that gender differences in social skill development persist during kindergarten and indicate a need to provide more targeted social skills intervention for boys. This is particularly critical given the increased prevalence of homeschooling, which can lead to boys missing out on these important early social skills development opportunities.

Language and Literacy

The language and literacy skills children develop during kindergarten help them become competent readers. These include early writing skills, recognition of upper and lowercase letters and their sounds and a growing vocabulary.

Kindergarten also introduces basic math concepts such as counting and understanding number relationships. Kindergartners learn to identify numbers, count groups of objects, compare the size of different objects and groups and begin addition.

The term “kindergarten” translates to “garden for children,” and was coined by Friedrich Wilhelm August Froebel, who founded the first kindergarten classroom in 1837 in Germany. His educational philosophy emphasized play and games as an important part of learning.

As families prepare kids for kindergarten, MSU Extension recommends nightly family reading and library visits. The goal is to make reading a fun and motivating experience rather than a chore for young children, so that they have a strong foundation for future academic success. Early literacy experiences are important for all kids.

Math

Counting and number sense are key skills for kindergarten, along with basic addition and subtraction. Children are also introduced to basic patterns and learn to recognize and create shapes. They also begin to grasp concepts like size, recognizing that some objects are bigger than others.

You can help your child with these early math skills by sorting and classifying objects at home. For example, you might ask your child to group items based on their color or shape, or you could use a picture graph to show your child how to compare data sets. You can also start to introduce them to simple measurements by letting them cook with you and measuring ingredients or creating a height chart.

Providing these opportunities will support your child’s healthy relationship with math and foster the development of strong problem-solving skills. Remember to celebrate their successes, especially when they get a concept right. This positive feedback will keep their confidence up, and can even encourage them to work harder when they encounter a challenge.

Students enrolled in Reading intervention receive supplemental instruction that complements classroom reading instruction. They are selected based on teacher recommendation, class performance and assessment data including standardized and district local assessments.

Students with severe reading problems may not have been exposed to consistent positive reinforcement for their efforts toward achieving academic goals. This void can lead to lack of motivation and self-efficacy, which further impacts their ability to become literate.

Phonics

Phonics is the basis for decoding, and it’s a critical component in helping readers become proficient. It should be taught explicitly in a manner that’s relevant to the students’ learning levels and the specific decoding skills they need. Research has found that systematic phonics instruction improves reading proficiency.

Systematic phonics instruction should include teaching letter shapes and names, phonemic awareness, and all major letter-sound relationships, including short and long vowel patterns. These lessons are best taught in a sequential fashion, starting with short vowel patterns and moving to longer ones as children progress.

However, phonics should not be the only focus of students’ literacy learning. It’s important to also focus on developing comprehension, vocabulary, and background knowledge.

Reading Comprehension

Reading comprehension is a higher-order reading skill that allows students to make sense of what they read. Comprehension combines many important cognitive processes like attention, memory, inference and critical thinking to help readers make sense of text. Children who comprehend can visualize a story, predict what will happen in the next chapter, laugh at jokes and connect what they have read to their own experiences.

Vocabulary and language skills are essential to reading comprehension, as is the ability to understand grammatical rules and structures. Incorporating grammar instruction into daily scripted lessons, deconstructing mentor texts and using reading-alouds to model how words work together can improve student understanding of the structure of written text.

Juan has struggled with reading for years and has a history of dyslexia and ADHD. He has taken a universal screener and received a diagnostic assessment to determine where he is struggling. Teachers will intervene and reteach skills that are needed starting with the most basic phonics and fluency skills.

Vocabulary

Students need to acquire and retain a large vocabulary in order to read. Students who have a larger vocabulary know more words and understand more. This knowledge is important for reading comprehension because it allows students to make connections and infer meaning from a text. A large gap in vocabulary knowledge between high and low achieving students has been identified as one of the main reasons for the achievement gap seen in reading studies.

To promote vocabulary development, teachers need to explicitly teach the meanings of words as well as strategies to learn them independently. This can be done through word study, using graphic organizers during explicit instruction and providing multiple opportunities to practice new vocabulary words in contexts.

It is also important to organize instruction around themes rather than skills, and to provide students with multiple texts that explore the same topic. This helps build background knowledge, which supports the learning of disciplinary vocabulary associated with subject-area content.

Fluency

Having strong fluency skills allows students to read at an appropriate rate while maintaining accuracy and expression. Expression refers to the student’s ability to read orally with components like tone, pitch, volume, emphasis, and rhythm. It also includes pauses that support the meaning of the text and expression that shows comprehension.

Research has shown that reading fluency correlates strongly with reading comprehension. Students who do not develop a high level of fluency may fall further behind their peers, leading to what is known as the Matthew effect (named after the Biblical verse).

To build fluency, teachers can use several instructional strategies such as choral reading, cloze reading, and reader’s theater. Another way to build fluency is to have a stronger reader pair with a weaker reader to provide a model of good reading and to help decode any miscues. This procedure is often called “partner reading” or “assistance with reading.” (Hasbrouck, 2006). Other effective strategies for developing reading fluency include:

From birth, children are active learners and their early thinking is insightful and complex. Educators must be familiar with the developmental pathways that all children follow and have deep knowledge of each child in their care.

Help your child discover his passions by exposing him to different experiences. Find out what interests him and encourage him to explore them through reading, visiting a museum, or exploring the local zoo.

Prenatal and Early Childhood Development

Early childhood education, or ECE, is the process of shaping children’s social-emotional, cognitive and physical development in a formal setting. From birth to age 8, this critical time of growth and development is the foundation for a lifetime of learning, and UNESCO recognizes high-quality ECE as one of its sustainable development goals.

These are not easy years to learn, but with support children can see themselves as capable learners and resist giving up when they encounter challenges. Alvarado’s course, Play as Pedagogy, teaches students about the importance of recognizing and supporting children’s learning through play.

Despite the overwhelming benefits of access to education, too many barriers are standing in the way of children’s right to quality education: conflict, natural disasters, poverty, disease, geographic isolation and social exclusion. UNICEF’s Let Us Learn initiative aims to remove those obstacles, with a special focus on girls.

Cognitive Development

Cognitive development is the process by which children’s thinking changes over time. It involves the interplay of assimilation (adjustments to fit new experiences) and accommodation (adding to or changing existing concepts). Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development has had a significant impact on research and practice in this area.

Many researchers use carefully designed experiments to elucidate what infants and young children know. These include observing how children interact with objects and their environment and measuring responses like looking time or expressions of surprise.

Although there is a great deal of debate about Piaget’s stages, developmental scientists are moving away from pitting structuralism against functionalism and toward seeing that psychological change can be both stagelike in some ways and not at all stagelike in others. Vygotsky emphasized the importance of relationships and social interactions in cognitive development. He viewed teachers as key facilitators in children’s learning. He suggested that they can promote cognitive development by helping children make meanings from their environment and experiences, using instructional strategies such as scaffolding.

Social and Emotional Development

While many milestones are tracked for children, like growth in motor and cognitive skills, social and emotional development can be just as important. A child’s ability to develop healthy relationships and cope with life challenges can impact her success in the classroom.

From the start of childhood, social-emotional development influences all other areas of a child’s growth and learning. Infants learn to recognize, regulate and express their emotions, as well as form close relationships with caregivers and other family members. Toddlers learn to share toys and play cooperatively with peers. Preschoolers become aware of their feelings and learn to manage their anger.

While SEL is not yet a core curriculum in all schools, it can be incorporated through small class sizes and teacher interaction time. It also can be encouraged through a positive school culture that values friendships and community, as well as through the nurture of student self-esteem. Children who understand the value of a supportive classroom community can feel more confident in their abilities and be better prepared for academic challenges.

Physical Development

Physical development is about a child’s ability to move their body – from the way they walk and stand up, to how they use their fingers and hands. Children need to build strong bones and muscles to support their learning, as well as develop coordination, balance and the ability to control their movements.

Children’s bodies are in a state of constant change, and the connections that form between different parts of their brain are most adaptable during early childhood. Delays in physical development can affect more than just gross and fine motor skills – it may also impact social, cognitive and emotional development.

Review the handout Scenarios – Infant and Toddler Physical Development in the Learn activity section to reflect on how to best support young children’s physical development. Once complete, share your thoughts and responses with a trainer, coach or administrator.

Education support is a broad term that encompasses the professional, administrative and technical staff working within the educational sector. This includes aides, clerical services, food services, transportation, skilled trades and more.

There are a variety of strategies for providing education support to students, from relationship-based approaches like teaming or advisories, to skill-based supports that focus on academic literacy or technology skills.

Educators

Educators are a vital part of the school system. They keep classrooms running smoothly and students learning in the most productive environment possible. They also serve as mentors and guides to young people, promoting lifelong learning and encouraging personal growth.

Providing learners with one-to-one support, they adapt teaching methods and materials to meet student needs and ensure that every child can reach their full potential. Educators work closely with other school staff to implement Multi-Tiered Systems of Support and ensure that each student receives the right level of intervention to help them succeed.

Providing education and career counseling, academic advising and advocacy, tutoring services, open use computer labs and writing center. Also, assisting participants in applying for community college, university or other college-level classes. Often, education support services include transportation assistance and day care expenses. All these services are documented in the participant’s service plan.

Administrators

Administrators keep universities, colleges and other educational institutions running by managing administrative, financial and support systems. These professionals manage staff, create and implement policies, handle disciplinary matters, conduct standardized testing, analyze data and ensure safety protocols for students and teachers.

Administrators who work in primary, middle and high schools often work in dynamic environments. They manage school activities, interact with teachers and students on a daily basis and maintain open communication channels with parents. They oversee curriculum implementation, establish school policies and manage budgets, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Those who work in higher education institutions like colleges and universities have more traditional office spaces where they participate in academic meetings, research and policy discussions. These professionals might also collaborate with business, non-profit organizations and local government agencies to enhance student opportunities. They might manage career development services and establish internships and mentorship programs for students. They handle a variety of other responsibilities as well, including student recruitment, fundraising and quality assurance.

Support Staff

School support staff (paraeducators, custodians, cafeteria workers, secretaries, clerical and technical service, transportation, security and food services) provide specialized instructional support inside the classroom. Outside the classroom, they build trusting relationships with students, help create a nurturing school environment, and take leadership roles in community building, crisis management, and conflict resolution.

ESPs are often the most immediate and direct conduit into the lives of students, interacting with them daily while providing maintenance, transportation, security, clerical, food, and other services. Many ESPs also live, vote, and shop in the communities where they work, which creates a sense of stewardship among them.

Education support services may include tutoring and formal classes to receive a Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC) diploma or to learn job skills, an apprenticeship program, vocational training or any other class. Generally, these are authorized in a participant’s service plan. ESPs deserve decent wages, respect for their important work and the same rights as other education personnel.

Students

Education support professionals meet the needs of the whole student on many levels, ensuring that students are healthy, safe, engaged, supported and challenged so they can learn. They use the principles of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to provide students with the tools they need to reach their potential, including academic support.

Academic support is an integral part of the learning process, but it can be difficult to implement effectively without adequate training and resources. Moreover, a lack of awareness about available services can discourage students from seeking help. To better understand this, the authors of this study investigated the service utilization of ten on-campus student support providers in Qatar University during Spring (2019) and Fall (2019).

The authors found that students with sufficient awareness of available services were more likely to seek help when needed. They were also more likely to be successful and persist in their courses if they used services. Furthermore, the authors observed that student gender and nationality did not influence their usage of student support services.

Education support staff keep schools running, students safe and classrooms ready to learn. They cultivate a positive school climate, and provide resources that help kids grow.

Participants authorized for educational support services must have an employment goal documented in their service plan. These goals may include tutoring or formal classes to obtain a Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC) diploma, vocational training or an apprenticeship program.

Education Support Professionals (ESPs) are a key part of Missouri’s education team.

Education support professionals keep schools running smoothly and students safe, healthy and ready to learn. They include paraeducators, food service workers, administrative assistants, secretaries, custodians, and bus drivers. They are essential to a quality education and help teachers focus on teaching.

In addition to keeping our schools running, they help students and their families get the assistance they need to succeed. ESPs provide tutoring sessions, supplemental courses and vacation-break learning programs. They also work as mentors to students who need extra attention or help mastering a subject.

They live in the school districts where they work and many volunteer in their communities. They care deeply about the children they serve. In this time of budget cuts and outsourcing, ESPs are fighting to make sure their jobs are protected. The bipartisan ESP and School Support Staff Family Leave Act would expand FMLA eligibility for the ESP workforce, providing them with the same protections as airline flight crew members and other professional workers.

Education Support Professionals (ESPs) make a positive impact on the lives of students.

One out of every three public school employees are Education Support Professionals. They play a critical role in keeping schools running smoothly and providing students with a safe environment that promotes learning and growth.

ESPs in each career family have unique skills and responsibilities, but they all share the same commitment to quality public education. They deserve to be treated with respect and paid a decent wage.

Paraeducators (paraprofessionals) assist classroom teachers with student instruction and work closely with students on their social emotional well-being, preparing them for the transition to college and careers. Food Service ESPs provide healthy meals that affect students’ energy, thinking, health and overall wellbeing.

Each year NEA and NEA Member Benefits recognize an ESP who best exemplifies the spirit and tenacity of Jo Campbell with the ESP of the Year award. This year, NEA-NH’s Sue-Ellen Quinn was nominated. Learn more about her story and the other nominees here. ESPs are dedicated to helping kids succeed in the classroom and beyond. They deserve decent wages and respect for their invaluable contributions to our community.

Education Support Professionals (ESPs) are a key part of Nevada’s education team.

Education Support Professionals (ESP) like secretaries, paraprofessionals, food service workers and bus drivers are an integral part of Nevada’s school system. They keep students safe, provide extra help and attention to students who need it, make sure schools run smoothly, and perform countless other jobs that keep our public schools functioning. It’s hard to imagine schools running for a single day without them.

ESPs are committed to creating strong relationships with the students they serve. Quinn takes time to learn students’ names and correctly pronounce them when she greets them in the morning, which is just one of many ways that she builds trust and makes each student feel seen.

NJEA is proud to fight for the jobs, pay and benefits of ESPs. We work tirelessly to protect our members’ rights at the local, state and national levels, including organizing new ESPs, protecting their contracts, and advocating for quality jobs and healthy, safe school environments.

Education Support Professionals (ESPs) are a key part of Oregon’s education team.

Education Support Professionals (ESPs) work together with teachers to perform a variety of jobs promoting quality education, fostering positive learning environments, offering nutritious meals, providing safe and reliable transportation, maintaining safe and clean schools and much more. These individuals are paraeducators, secretaries/clerical, food service workers, custodial and maintenance staff members.

ESPs have little on-the-job training, but their previous experience and education prepare them for the demands of their profession. They are a vital part of the school community and deserve our appreciation.

Nominations are open now through February 21, 2024, for the Oregon ESP of the Year. Nominate an ESP who you believe is making a big difference in the lives of students. The winner will be surprised with a special gift award and recognition for their efforts at an awards ceremony hosted by the Department of Education and Oregon Lottery. Nominations are free and open to all public ESPs working in Oregon K-12 schools or district offices.

Schools are places that teach students, and also where they play, learn skills, and interact with peers. They can be public or private, and they often have a long history.

Attending school events for new families can give you a good impression of the atmosphere and culture at a particular school. But data points don’t tell the full story.

Teachers

Teachers have a unique position in society as they are the ones who are able to communicate knowledge and information to young people. Many people choose to become teachers as they have a passion for helping young people learn. This is often based on a positive school experience themselves or a desire to make a difference in the community.

The responsibilities of teachers are varied and include teaching skills, establishing a classroom environment and implementing curriculum. Some teachers specialise in certain fields, such as science or arts education.

More and more teachers understand that in order to help students learn, they must inspire a love of learning. This new concept of instruction prompts them to abandon lecture-based teaching methods in favor of project-based learning adventures.

Friends

Friendships play a large role in children’s experiences at school. In the early years, kids will probably make friends with kids who live close to them or are in their class, but as they get older friendships can become more stable and form based on shared interests, loyalty, empathy and communication skills. Friendships can help children cope with stressful situations at school, such as tests and extracurricular activities, but they also have the potential to be a source of conflict.

Among the two large typical schools in the analysis sample, similarity in GPA has a positive and significant effect on friend selection. However, in the smaller less typical rural schools, academic achievement does not seem to be a major sorting mechanism for friendship ties.

Attendance

Attendance is an essential building block for learning and a key indicator of student and community needs. Students who are chronically absent – missing two days or more per month, regardless of the reason — are significantly less likely to read at grade level by third grade and are at greater risk for dropping out of high school.

Creating a strong culture of attendance starts at the school level by identifying and responding to barriers that contribute to absences. Involve teachers, parents and students in school-based attendance teams that reflect the community to examine data and identify strategies to address barriers. Engage students and families with incentives such as raffles and parties to increase regular attendance. Ensure that all children can access support services such as dental, flu and health clinics, which are often unavailable to those who miss school.

Skills

From group projects to team sports, school life puts a heavy emphasis on collaboration. This is a necessary skill for almost every job and, as students anticipate higher education and careers, schools should equip them with these valuable tools for learning and-as new research argues-thriving in the workforce.

Schools that incorporate these skills are able to help students become more goal-oriented and build relationships as they realize how school fits into their bigger plans for themselves. Collaborative assignments also cultivate essential workplace skills, such as time management and figuring out how to collaborate in new situations.

However, recent critiques have shown that SEL initiatives can be implemented in culturally insensitive ways that exacerbate psychological harm against marginalized youth. By implementing practices like self-regulation and stress management, schools can ensure their efforts support the development of valued skills, habits, and mindsets for their entire community.

Community

A sense of community is a powerful component in education. It fosters growth, paves the way for exploration and nurtures inspiration that drives curiosity and passion. Without community, students will struggle to achieve their educational and personal goals.

Schools can support their community by implementing collaborative learning opportunities. They can do this by bringing in guest speakers, hosting mentorship programs and engaging with local businesses through collaboration projects.

They can also open their facilities to the local community by offering educational athletic and recreational spaces, theatrical and multipurpose areas, and more. This will help schools to build a good reputation and garner support for their programs from the local area. They should make sure that they are reaching out to all members of the community by removing barriers to engagement, such as translation services or childcare.

Kindergarten is a bridge between the less structured environment of preschool and the more structured primary school classroom. It helps kids become accustomed to the routine of regular classroom learning and understand the basics of their teacher’s expectations.

Children build fine motor skills and gain confidence in their ability to work away from home. They learn how people near and far are alike and different, and explore their cultures.

Language

Kids in kindergarten will learn the alphabet and letter sounds, begin spelling patterns and sight words, and practice writing. They’ll also gain a foundation for reading with the Calvert Language Arts curriculum.

Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach involving playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction. It was established in the 18th century in Germany, Bavaria, and Alsace to allow children whose parents worked outside the home to have a place to go during the day. It was introduced by German pedagogue Friedrich Frobel, who’s approach has globally influenced early-years education.

In the UK, kindergarten is known as nursery or pre-school. It’s a year of preparation for compulsory schooling which begins at age six with Class 1 of primary school. Kindergartens are more readily available in large and medium-sized cities where the economy is well developed.

Math

Parents can support their children’s learning by encouraging the use of math in everyday activities. Even something as simple as helping a child to sort and classify toys, or by making a height chart of their own growth, is an excellent way for kids to build early math skills.

Kindergartners develop an understanding of addition and subtraction within 10. They also learn to decompose numbers into pairs and groupings.

Counting, basic shapes, and number sense are essential kindergarten math topics. In addition to this, a child will also learn how to write numbers (symbols and numerals), and understand that they represent objects. Kindergartners will also start to recognize patterns. This is an important step as they prepare to advance their mathematical knowledge in later grades.

Science

At this age, children are naturally curious and eager to make sense of their world. The goal of kindergarten science instruction is to channel this natural curiosity and need for understanding into inquiry that focuses on basic phenomena and materials.

Ideally, the scientific concepts selected for children to explore must be ones that are readily accessible and drawn from their daily experiences in the environment. For example, if children are exploring snail movement, the phenomenon should be one that can be explored over a sustained period of time indoors and outdoors with multiple materials.

By engaging in hands-on scientific exploration, young children develop an understanding of the environment and learn about how everything is connected. They also develop a growth mindset and become confident in their ability to learn.

Social Studies

Social studies, traditionally viewed as a core subject for students in elementary school, has taken a back seat to reading and math instruction since the 2001 passage of No Child Left Behind. But a well-rounded education must include social studies to nurture knowledgeable and engaged citizens from the earliest grades.

The foundation for critical thinking skills is established in early childhood, and integrating social studies lessons allows teachers to leverage children’s natural curiosity about people and their world. It also provides a way to normalize cultural diversity in a world of increasing globalization.

Social studies topics that can be taught in kindergarten include flags and symbols, community maps, storytelling, and exploration of different government, economic, and social traditions. Lessons may require additional resources to be successful, such as maps, pictures, and historical books on particular cultures.

Art

The art classroom is a great place for kindergarten students to develop their imaginations and fine motor skills. This age group can work with a variety of media, including drawing, painting, sculpting, and weaving.

Help students learn the alphabet with this project that uses their hands as a frame to paint letter shapes. Encourage them to add color or patterns with chalk markers. Kids love salt painting, especially when the resulting prints can also serve as a one-of-a-kind tee.

Introduce process art with this idea for a paper line sculpture. Kindergarteners aren’t required to make their lines resemble specific objects or structures, so they can let their imaginations soar! Show students how to use an old credit card or gift card as a paint scraper for more open ended fun.

Reading intervention provides students with the opportunity to improve their reading, writing, test taking and study skills in a small group setting. These classes focus on a range of materials written at the student’s instructional level.

School boards determine what interventions to use, in what grades, and how to track student progress. The inquiry found that some boards do not allocate resources to schools with high numbers of students who are struggling with reading.

Phonics

Phonics provides struggling readers with the tools they need to read unfamiliar text. When students can apply phonics strategies, even very complex words become accessible.

Research suggests that the phonological awareness component of reading is as important for developing decoding skills as grapheme-phoneme correspondences, and just as essential for progressing to word-reading and spelling. Isolated phonological awareness instruction, as found in some inquiry board programs, is not enough to catch struggling readers up or prevent future word-reading difficulties.

Empower(r) is a computer-based intervention program that teaches phonics, decoding, word reading and fluency for Kindergarten to Grade 5 students who are having difficulty with reading. The 2020 Ministry report found that when students are given the opportunity to use this program regularly, it can help them achieve significant gains in their reading skill. This program is typically administered as a small group intervention under the guidance of a teacher. Students are given a formative assessment and a diagnostic assessment at regular intervals.

Fluency

Fluency is the ability to read at a rate that sounds natural and allows for proper phrasing, accent, and emphasis. Reading aloud is the best way to teach children this skill. Educators should model fluent reading and encourage students to practice at home, either in small groups or with their teachers.

Teaching children to read with expression is also a vital component of developing fluency. Engaging kids in dramatic reading activities such as Reader’s Theater will encourage them to use emotion and pause at appropriate times to allow meaning to be fully understood.

Research has shown that RR improves reading fluency for struggling elementary school readers, but results are mixed for secondary students. This may be due to differences in how researchers define struggling readers, including comorbid conditions, as well as the fact that reading comprehension is more important for older students. The evidence supports that RR can help struggling secondary readers, but high-quality research is needed to determine the specific conditions under which RR improves fluency and comprehension outcomes.

Comprehension

As students grow in age and reading ability, comprehension instruction becomes increasingly important. Comprehension includes many of the reading-related skills taught in classrooms, such as monitoring and interpreting the meaning of text; understanding vocabulary and language; and connecting to background knowledge.

Developing these skills requires an individual to have the cognitive abilities required, such as attention and memory. Comprehension also involves making inferences and constructing mental representations of the information presented.

Research from many disciplines, including developmental psychology, cognitive science, education, and linguistics, has shed light on what happens in the mind of readers as they comprehend oral and written texts. Understanding the nature of comprehension helps us to better instruct this skill and improve outcomes for students with varying learning needs. The Connect to Comprehension program integrates daily scripted lessons that teach students to decode, analyze, and practice basic word and structural analysis, reading fluency, and vocabulary through an evidence-based curriculum built on well-respected recommendations of the National Reading Panel.

Vocabulary

Vocabulary is a vital component of reading comprehension. It helps children make sense of what they read, visualize stories, anticipate what will happen next, laugh at jokes, and draw conclusions from information in a text. Children without a strong vocabulary foundation struggle to make meaning from print and can experience serious gaps in academic performance.

Explicit vocabulary instruction is one of the most effective strategies for building word knowledge. Students need to hear and see the words often and practice saying them, using them in context, and having others respond to their spoken use of the word. Discussing unfamiliar words incidentally, a traditional approach to vocabulary instruction, is ineffective.

Ruddell’s spontaneous decision to allow her students to choose their own vocabulary words inspired Brenda Shearer and colleagues to research the effectiveness of VSS (Vocabulary Self-Selection) in a classroom setting. They paired middle school students with teachers and followed the same model that Ruddell had used in her classroom: Each student nominated and argued for one word to be included on the weekly class vocabulary list. Students in the VSS group scored higher than students in the other two treatment conditions on the weekly vocabulary quizzes.