EDUCATION MATTERS—SANFORD SCHOOL'S PRIVATE SCHOOL BLOG

If you have ever been to a child's birthday party, you know firsthand how different children are from each other. Imagine your five-year-old neighbor's Spider-Man-themed party. There may be games, food, cake, presents, and no matter how well all that is going, as soon as Spider-Man shows up, there is bound to be drama. Some children are going to be incredibly excited, some so scared they may start crying, some may not know who Spider-Man even is, and some will become instantly shy and want to hide behind their parent's legs.

Now imagine those same children in their kindergarten classroom. They may be equally as different when it comes to learning how to read. Differentiated instruction is the act of teaching individuals differently based on their needs, their interests, their readiness, and their strengths. The goal to have everyone learn how to read remains the same but how that happens depends on who the children in the class are.

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.

The end of the school year is here, and while that might mean lazy days by the pool or family vacations, it’s also the perfect time to start preparing your child for the upcoming school year. Here are six fun ways to promote learning and to make sure your child makes the most of this SUMMER so that they can roll smoothly into the fall.

When the pandemic impacts nearly every aspect of student learning, how can we help our children survive and thrive? Finding ways to motivate students and providing the best teaching strategies during hybrid learning is not easy. Whether children are attending class in person or online, participating in “school” is a great way to provide a sense of normalcy in their lives.

The relationship between home and school is pivotal to the success of your child. As parent-teacher conferences are announced, the way you approach this relationship can help shape important outcomes for your child. It is important to bring patience, understanding, and compassion to the conversation, especially now during the pandemic. Although conferences will be virtual, the content of the meeting is just as meaningful and essential. Use this unique one-on-one time to explore how you can support the “formal” learning process and get a fresh perspective on your child’s development. Planning ahead can help you establish a solid partnership with your child’s teacher.

Here are a few tips to make your parent-teacher conference more productive:

When you’re pursuing a college preparatory education, the academic courses of math, science, English, history, and a modern language are pretty much set in stone. You may have some flexibility around what novel you’ll read for a classroom book club or what project you’ll do for the science fair, but if you really want to stretch your wings in terms of making choices, you can turn to electives and clubs. Find out why electives are an important part of your child's education.

Private school admissions can be tricky, and in 2020 the process is all the more confusing. Yet while the world may be on pause, your child’s education shouldn’t wait. Admission offices are finding new ways to connect with families and prospective students this year, providing myriad opportunities for parents to learn about and engage with their schools.

When searching for a school, academic rigor and extracurricular activities are important, but something equally critical that can be harder to assess is the culture of the community. You’ll gain information and an overall feeling of a school as you visit different times, such as going on a personal tour. Building a complete picture of each school you visit will take time, but one thing you should pay attention to from your initial interaction with the school is whether the environment feels like a welcoming one to you and your family. Specifically, on your first visit to the school, you should pay attention to three groups: students, teachers, and administrators.

If you know Sanford School, you know the natural beauty and roaming hills of the campus that lent the school its original namesake—Sunny Hills. While it is the work of Sanford faculty that provides the quality education Sanford aims to deliver, it is often what lies outside of the campus’s academic buildings that comes to mind when one thinks of what makes Sanford unique. Teachers have always found ways to incorporate the larger campus into students’ learning experiences, but now, for the first time in Sanford’s ninety-year history will its outdoor spaces be used as a safer alternative to the traditional classroom setting.

Educators have been aware of summer slide or a regression in academic progress over the summer months since a comprehensive study was published almost twenty-five years ago (Charlton, K, Cooper, H, Greathouse, S, Lindsay, J, Nye, B, 1996). Especially during a period of uncertainty when many families may be spending more time at home, Sanford School teachers are here to share ideas that will encourage continued academic growth and stability throughout the summer months. Setting up a consistent schedule in the summer filled with educational activities will help continue your child's learning throughout elementary school.