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Photo: Syda Productions (Shutterstock)
As we near the end of what is one of the most stressful school years in history for students, teachers, school staff, and parents, many of us grapple with the grave impact on our children’s emotional health and, in some cases, our fears that virtual learning becomes cause more summer learning loss than normal.
For families who are most concerned about the academic aspect, an option that has always existed is to hold a student back and not promote them to the next grade when parents or teachers feel they are being left behind. There is detailed, and often diverse, research on whether or not holding back students always has the intended effects to help them catch up. In some cases, experts argue to be withheld and has no long-term negative effects on a student’s well-being or performance. Others argue Promoting students to the next grade and adding extra resources to their classroom learning is a better option so that they can catch up academically without falling behind socially.
The pandemic has added several complications to this already difficult decision. For children who have already felt isolated or had problems with their emotional health, the added stress of repeating a class can further affect their wellbeing.
Lori Day is an educational advisor who works with students and families to make educational decisions. Day notes that parents should consider several factors before making the decision to withhold their student this year or any other, including their age, social and emotional maturity, and how the children would withhold themselves.
“The stigma is worse for older children than younger ones, especially if repetition makes a child much older than their peers,” says Day.
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Here are other considerations and conversations that parents should have while grappling with this decision.
Prioritize rest and fun for children right now
Nobody needs a reminder, but the pandemic was tragic and severe. This is doubly true for children who have been isolated from friends, unable to attend extracurricular activities, may have lost loved ones and whose well-being has been politicized in dialogues about when and how to return to face-to-face lessons. Day recommends parents be aware of this burden on children and give them time to recharge this summer.
“I think parents should make their children’s mental health a priority when we start the summer,” says Day. “Let them play, go to camp, have appointments, and have unstructured time, preferably off-screen.”
Day also notes that it is important to recognize that most children who return to face-to-face classes in the fall will have some degree of learning loss and will need to catch up. “I recommend parents not withhold their children unless there is a composite reason that not only causes them to lose academic ground due to the pandemic and distance education,” she says.
School districts are aware of this challenge and have mechanisms in place to provide additional assistance. Teachers and staff will prepare to overcome these challenges as students need additional support in the fall.
I recommend parents not withhold their children unless there is a compound reason, in addition to they are losing academically ground due to the pandemic and distance education.
“Teachers are aware that students have had problems over the past year, just like they have problems with themselves and their own children,” says Day. “It was a very difficult year. Be confident that teachers are planning an influx of students in September who haven’t exactly benefited from Zoom. They will evaluate them and assess where their skills are and adjust the curriculum accordingly. ”
The prospect of catching up with students in subjects like math or reading is easier than assessing where children are emotional.
“I hope schools can offer more counseling services than they are used to because children will need them and private counseling is often expensive and difficult to find,” says Day.
Stephen Merrill, Chief Content Officer for Edutopia, an organization promoting innovation in K-12 education, writes that the emphasis is too much on learning loss and not on the emotional health of students when they return to the classroom would be a “historical mistake””:
The need to rebuild the frayed social fabric of our learning communities, which study after study shows is a foundation for real learning, should be the primary concern.
The consequences of setting our priorities incorrectly and presenting the content to the child are severe and long-term.
Do not make the decision without input from the student
Children are unlikely to hold back willingly, especially given the scars associated with poor academic performance and the prospect of watching peers and friends advance one class. Parents should not only involve children in the discussion in an age-appropriate manner, but also make the conversation positive so that the student understands it as an aid and not as a punishment.
“Children in late elementary school, middle school, and high school should be included in the decision-making,” Day says. “They need to feel like they have a voice and they need to buy-in because otherwise they could sabotage their own performance when angry, angry, or punished.”
Day also notes that if the child is also changing schools, making a decision to repeat a grade is easier, making them less likely to be noticed by their peers.
“Staying in the same school and watching friends advance to the next grade without you is painful for older kids,” she says. “If changing schools is not possible or desirable – and even if it is – parents should shape the decision in a way that is in the best interests of the child and does not reflect on their intelligence or aptitude.”
Use the resources available
Parents should understand that they are not solely responsible for helping children overcome learning losses during the pandemic. Teachers, too, can make a huge difference. Merrill notes that simple gestures from teachers like greeting students at the door can increase academic engagement in the classroom by up to 20 percent. Teachers who understand that emotional wellbeing is more important than academic achievement right now will be an important factor in helping children who have passed the next school year.
Regardless of whether you come from a parent, teacher, or other support system, right now, simply showing children that there are adults to take care of them is crucial. Harvard University research shows that children are resilient and can recover from severe hardships much more easily when they have at least one stable and supportive adult in their life.
Connecting kids to fun activities like outdoor summer camps that make learning exciting and fun can also be a way to reconnect them and improve academic performance when they return to school. Tutoring services for individuals or groups also exist in most communities, although Day cautions parents not to jump to this solution too quickly. Children perceive their parents’ fears. So if the parents are constantly worried about their student falling behind, the student will pick it up.
“It makes them more prone to anxiety and depression than they already are, especially during this unusual and stressful pandemic year,” said Day. “I want to emphasize that academic achievement is not the most important thing right now. These kids will be fine. They will for the most part catch up and are in the same boat as many, if not most, of the other children. ”
