We are all looking forward to a fall where most students are expected to return to traditional schooling. However, the mark of blended learning has already been imprinted- and it’s highly probable that features of remote and hybrid instruction are here to stay.
Early middle school is an important transitional time in a young person’s academic life. “It bridges the gap between elementary school, where a child learns how to read and be a student, and high school, where [they] will take on the full responsibilities of being a young adult.” (Institute of Reading Development, 2019)
Successful students have a strong command of grade-appropriate language. The following research-based, cross-content, multi-grade strategies will help you support your learners in growing their vocab repertoire.
Just weeks after the start of the 2020-2021 school year, Amy Neilson made the agonizing decision to pull her 5-year-old son with special needs out of his distance learning Kinder class. After experiencing a series of regressions in her son’s behavior and well-being, Neilson consulted with friends, family, and school staff before reaching a decision to withdraw her son from school. The toll had just been too much.
Student choice, combined with agency, results in learning. This is the summation of a 2016 report from the Buck Institute of Education. And the organization isn’t alone in its findings- studies from the 1970s to the present demonstrate that student choice has been linked to increased motivation, performance, comprehension, collaborative skills development, and socio-emotional well-being.
In May of 2019 the Guardian updated its style guide and publicly announced that they would be changing their use of terms regarding the environment. "Climate change" was replaced by "climate emergency, crisis, or breakdown." Editor-in-chief, Katherine Viner explained, "The phrase 'climate change' for example, sounds rather passive and gentle when what scientists are talking about is a catastrophe for humanity." Several other media outlets followed the Guardian's example.
The learning day is grounded in language. Academically, we view language through four lenses: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Of these, reading has the greatest impact on academic outcomes.
