As the novel coronavirus continues to spread, millions of kids across Canada are out of school for an indefinite period of time.
Some parents fear that their children’s progress will be stunted by the missed time.
But according to education expert Kate Winn, your kids’ education can stay on track even when they’re out of school.
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“I’m a teacher so, of course, I think education is important, being at school every day is important, but having a break like this isn’t going to be the end of the world,” Winn told Global News’ The Morning Show.
Winn has two daughters in Grade 6 and Grade 8, and she says she’s not worried about their academics right now.
“Social distancing … is the priority,” Winn said.
If teachers didn’t send home any work for your children to do, Winn suggests waiting to see if the teacher gets in touch and, if not, getting in contact with your child’s teacher yourself. Many teachers share email addresses or have class apps, she said.
“I surveyed a lot of teachers on this, and the overwhelming response was not to worry too much about sitting down at the table, paper-and-pencil kind of work,” she said.
She adds that teachers will always encourage more reading, but other ideas include going outside, going for walks or baking with their parents.
She said one thing you can focus on is routine. Children really get used to the routine of going to school, taking breaks and coming home. She said at home, parents can create the same type of routine. Start with breakfast, go into a learning topic and take a break or recess to play outside.
You can even include “things that can’t get done during the day, like chores or music lessons” in your daily schedule, Winn said.
And as a reminder to all parents, you can always find your child’s curriculum online.
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Other activities for your kids during the break
With public settings like museums, science centres and community centres on the list of places to avoid, how else can parents fill the time?
There are a few things to consider, according to Jennifer Kolari, parenting expert and founder of Connected Parenting.
“If these days at home don’t have structure or texture, your kids are going to get pyjama fever,” Kolari said.
“As much as possible, you need to keep the structure looking very much like school.”