As a virtual tutor focusing on creative writing, I have been working with an assortment of elementary school students from across the country. I want to highlight some good news about what elementary students can achieve—despite the toll Covid-19 took on their early educational experiences. What would you say if I told you I know a fifth grader who just published a book?
We often hear stories on the news about the impact of Covid on student achievement. Lately, it seems the stories are focusing on elementary education. There have been numerous news reports about how approximately 400 of the Metro Nashville Public Schools 4th grade students may be held back for the second time in a year in accordance with a Tennessee retention law. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results indicate 4th grade reading scores continue to decline.
Kids of this age really got the raw end of the deal when it came to early education experiences. Kindergarten and 1st grade students should not be expected to sit in front of a computer to learn, but many of them were under pressure to do exactly that. Many were not allowed to attend school in person. So, what happened after such an auspicious start to their education? Are they all having trouble learning and developing?
I have been working with some outstanding students! Despite the challenges that have been thrown in front of them they have figured out how to thrive in their educational environment.
A mother told me her 4th grade son would not be able to do much on the computer—she was surprised to see all that he could do the first time he sat at the computer to work with me.
I have worked with twin kindergarten boys needing help with phonics. At the same time, they were learning to code. I designed their lessons within the context of dinosaurs. Their mother told me they often fought over who would get to work with me each week. They were having fun while learning but they still needed a break periodically. Their mother was pleased that we played tic-tac-toe on a break because it reinforced the one boy’s interest in computer graphics.
While working with a 3rd grade girl on creative writing, we ran into some problems with the platform we used. She proceeded to tell me how to overcome problems with the computer platform—because she had learned the trick in an earlier session with another tutor.
A 4th grade girl was having trouble with writing and did not like drill-based sessions. When we started to work together, I learned what she was interested in, sports and animals, and let her read and write about her favorite topics. In one of her first stories she wrote the words of an announcer at a baseball game—and then told the story about the game and detailed plays in the final innings.
The mother of a 4th grade student living in New York City had her daughter enter a writing contest hosted by the New York Public Libraries. She wrote an incredibly impressive story about the Statue of Liberty coming to life and visiting numerous locations around the city before returning to her pedestal at the end of the day.
I had a 5th grade girl with a very curious mind that needed more experience reading and writing. She is interested in algebra, geometry, crocheting, and tennis. She was particularly interested in reading stories about NASA research on cancer in space and the Crochet Coral Reef Project.
I also had a 4th grade girl that told me she wanted to be an astrophysicist when she grew up. That girl is now in 5th grade and just published a nearly 200-page, 15-chapter book on Amazon.
As an undergraduate student one of the most important lessons I learned was that it is important to “give children freedom within limits.” As a graduate student I took a class about gifted children. One of the questions that always stuck with me was “what would have happened if Van Gogh or Picasso had never had access to paint and brushes?”.
When elementary school students are given the opportunity to pursue their interests
and provided with the support they need, in terms of tools and resources, watch them soar!
They will not let the pandemic or anything else slow them down.
For more information about customizing tutoring to meet student needs see the following CStarsky Lifelong Learning LLC articles:
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