EDUCATION MATTERS—SANFORD SCHOOL'S PRIVATE SCHOOL BLOG

Now that it is summer, It is time to start thinking about your child’s summer reading. Some schools require your child to read. It can be as simple as reading a book of choice, picking from a selection of books, or specific books. Ensure you check with your child’s school to make sure you have all of the requirements for their summer reading. Once you find out, getting them to read may be challenging. Read these tips to encourage your child to start reading.

With many schools learning completely online or hybrid, it is important to make sure you are creating a safe and reliable virtual learning environment for your child. Your child may need to attend virtual meetings and complete assignments for class daily. Remind your child about internet safety and expectations to act appropriately when using technology. If your child’s school is using virtual learning, consider these best practices:

Once summer rolls along, it is often hard to resist the temptation to retire completely from the academic pursuits that had kept one so active during the school year. As tempting as this may be, what students often forget is how easy it is to incorporate these lessons into their summer schedules in a way that suits their interests. Here are just a few tips on how to keep the learning going so as to expand your interests and ease the transition into a new school year.

The way students read, write, and access information has changed rapidly in our growing digital world. To meet the needs of 21st-Century learning, the role of the librarian is changing and libraries are transforming to better meet the needs of students. They are converting into flexible learning spaces to encourage the gathering and sharing of knowledge. Librarians continue to inspire a passion for learning and are also incorporating teaching strategies for students to navigate the digital world. Librarians encourage students’ learning in the following ways.

Personalized learning is when the planning, teaching, and assessment focus on the individual needs and interests of each student. It provides an education that includes differentiation and individualization, tools which support student success.

Engage your kids in learning throughout the summer with a variety of experiences to help them to continue their growth and prevent learning loss. If you have a phone or tablet, apps can do more than keep them busy. It is important to select apps that engage your child, strengthen their skills, and promote learning. In addition, make sure to balance screen time with playtime to help your child to create a healthy relationship with technology. 

Digital citizenship is a way to teach students how to use technology responsibly and respectfully—and it’s an important aspect of developing good character in our students. Because using digital media is a part of our everyday lives, we teach them how to manage their school Gmail accounts and Google Apps for Education for their learning. We also talk with them about how to manage themselves online, especially when using social media.

As educators, we think a lot about social media and how to use it effectively and responsibly. We work with our students to make sure they know how important it is for them, too. The guidelines our school uses for our own posts are designed to create a positive atmosphere online. We teach appropriate technology use to develop good digital citizens.