Many people are saying, “Oh, COVID, that’s gone, everything’s fine now,” but is it? 
 
Let’s check the facts for this week:
 
“The U.S. is averaging 108,065 cases a day, up 53% from two weeks ago….  Cases are higher in nearly every state, but the Northeast and Midwest are being particularly hard hit ….”
 
New York and Los Angeles are on high alert and urging people to wear a mask.  Philadelphia and Massachusetts have very high numbers, and COVID may even be worse than what is being reported because many people are doing home testing and not reporting positive test results. 
 
This is not a political stunt.  This is real, and we need to remember that one million people have died in the U.S. from COVID. 
 
COVID is back.  Actually, it never went away, and the BA.2.12.1 is said to be even more contagious.  So, get vaccinated and put your mask back on.
 
 
Mandatory Mask Mandates  
      
Several schools are calling for mandatory mask mandates.

Brookline, Massachusetts (near Boston) has reinstated an indoor mask mandate for the town, including the schools.
 
“The mandate that began Monday requires everyone to wear a face covering over their mouth and nose while inside the library, senior center, all public schools and any other town-owned indoor spaces where the public gathers.   … school dashboard, [has tracked a] steady upward trend since mid-April…. Data shows 232 students and staff in the district of more than 7,700 students tests positive last week.”
 
It’s not just Brookline.  On May 24th, Philadelphia public schools also reinstated a face-mask mandate for students and teachers. 
 
Of course, some students and teachers never stopped wearing their masks.  Even when school boards gave in to the hysterical screaming over the fear of masks, some students and teachers, the smart ones, kept right on wearing their masks every single day, all day long. 
 
As one man said, “I accidently fell asleep with my N-95 on; I’ve never slept better.”
 
So, with mask mandates returning, can the chanting, screaming hoards on the sidewalks and at the school board meetings be far behind?  No, they’re probably printing off new signs right now.
 
But what about the children?
 
 
New Vaccines for Children

​There are new vaccines for children.  The booster for children 5 years and older is available now.  The vaccine for children under 5 years of age will hopefully be ready in June.

• “… children 5 years and older already have access to a COVID-19 vaccine -- and now a booster shot -- through Pfizer's two-dose vaccine….”

 

• “Three doses of Pfizer and BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine produced a “strong immune response” in children under five, according to results from a clinical trial….”   

 
So, what is stopping parents from getting their children vaccinated?  Will misinformation on social media keep parents from vaccinating their children?  I hope not.  A study from Brown University this month stated that 318,000 lives could have been saved in the U. S. if people had just been willing to get vaccinated.  Unfortunately, some of those people who died were children.
 
I can hear it now on the talk shows and social media sites.  They’ll be screaming and yelling that children don’t really get that sick.  That is false. 
 
As Ibukun Kalu, a pediatric-infectious-disease specialist at Duke University stated, 
 
“But children do fall seriously ill with COVID-19. Since the pandemic’s start, the virus has killed more than a thousand kids; thousands more have developed a serious inflammatory condition called MIS-C. The Omicron wave hospitalized the youngest Americans—the least vaccinated Americans—at rates higher than in any other surge.”
 
As Dr. Kalu explains, we should be taking every opportunity to vaccinate our children to protect them from getting COVID.  Vaccinations save lives.  Vaccinations keep children from getting severely ill.  Forget the misinformation on social media, save the children.  Children do not get a chance to decide for themselves.  We, as adults, must make the decision for the children. 
 
Misinformation Kills

Yes, I know, everyone is entitled to an opinion, but facts are facts, opinions are opinions.  No, there are not two sets of facts.  “Alternative facts” do not exist; that is just misinformation and lies.  The fact is we need to vaccinate our children.  And yes, they should be wearing masks.
 
Vaccinating children is a medical question, not a political play toy.  Yes, COVID has killed children.  Yes, we have the vaccine to keep that from happening—if we will only use it.
 
Mary Papenfuss wrote in a recent article for Huffington Post,
 
“While COVID-19 death rates in regions are affected by several factors, including things like wealth and access to health care, death rates closely followed rates of vaccinations, which Republican lawmakers, activists and media personalities often railed against. Not only did they urge people not to get the vaccine, but often spread frightening disinformation about the vaccines.”
  
Unfortunately, doctors and experts fear that many children will die even though the vaccine is now available for them.  Don’t let politicians dictate how you care for your children.  As I have said before, take medical questions to doctors and political questions to politicians.  COVID is not a political question.  It is a medical issue.  Save the children; get your child vaccinated.
  
As Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at Brown University School of Public Health, said,
 
"How you vote should not predict whether you die of COVID…."
 
So, yes, we should definitely be concerned about COVID.  It has not disappeared, and it is just as deadly as always. 

It has been proven over and over.  When you put the vaccine and the N-95 mask together, you have provided children and parents with a degree of safety from COVID.  No, it’s not perfect. Also, as has been proven, if you take the masks away, the vaccine may not be enough to keep you from getting sick.  So, give your child every chance to grow up and be an adult.  Get your child vaccinated and give them a mask.
 
Next time, I want to explore new research that is just becoming available showing that there may be a connection between COVID-19 and the new severe cases of hepatitis in children.

A 19-year-old Texas youth recently said,
 
“We are tired of fearing for our lives. 
We are tired of prayers without action.”
 
A young self-proclaimed teen activist made this statement after the deadly shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas on Tuesday. 
 
As the young teen explained, even the “active shooter drills” can be terrifying for students.
 
"I was terrified. There were countless days where I was afraid to go to school … it wasn't your school today, but you have no way of knowing if it's going to be your school tomorrow…."
 
She went on to say,
 
"I was 10 years old when Sandy Hook happened, now 10 years later the same thing is happening and nothing has been done to stop children from dying in schools."
  
Yes, it is hard to imagine that in 10 years we have done absolutely nothing to keep children safe in school.  Politicians are lining up to blame each other.  Yet will anything really change?  Probably not.
  
Prayers are good, but as this young adult points out, we need to do more.
 
 
What Should We Do?
 
Students frequently fear going to school.  People march in the streets and scream and yell for the “freedom” to buy more and more guns.  Politicians argue and give speeches that accomplish nothing.  More children die. 
 
Most of the solutions being offered by politicians are worthless.  As Zeeshan Aleem pointed out in one news article, handing out guns to teachers will not help and neither will turning the school into a windowless prison.  Interesting article, I hope you read it.
 
So, what is the answer?
  
As a psychologist, I believe that you always need to look at the root cause of a problem or situation.  Absolutely no 18-year-old should ever be allowed to buy an assault rifle with tons of ammunition.  Yet, the problem is deeper than just getting guns off the street, but that’s a good place to start.
 
 
Something Needs to Change
  
If you look back at almost every school shooting, there were warning signs.  We absolutely must stop ignoring these warning signs.  The reports are sketchy on the news, but if the reports are accurate and the shooter actually cut his own face and bragged about it, that is a warning sign that should not have been ignored.  If the shooter actually threatened another teen’s life or said, “I’m going to kill you.”  That’s a warning sign.  Such warnings should never be ignored.  Yet, teens are afraid to report such actions.  I can understand and sympathize with their fear.  Our system frequently does not support the victim.
 
 
Change
 
What if we had a national hotline for reporting questionable behaviors?  What if when a student is threatened at school, they could call or text and report behavior that they feel might be dangerous? 
 
What if it was totally anonymous?  What if students felt safe to come forward and report questionable behavior?  What if such calls were reviewed by actual mental health professionals with the training to know the difference between someone who needs help and someone who was just complaining?
  
Yes, I have no doubt that there would be several prank calls, but if investigating such calls for help could save children’s lives, wouldn’t it be worth it?
  
Yes, our thoughts and prayers are with the families in Uvalde and all families who have been touched by violence.  Next, we need to stop the violence so that no more children or teachers die.  Children shouldn’t be afraid to go to school.

Everyone agrees that we need quality tutoring programs.  Yet, we also know that many tutoring programs of the past have not been successful.  Where can we find guidelines for developing quality tutoring programs?
​
Unfortunately, when I looked for guidelines, I only found general suggestions.  Some were good, such as this one from Potsdam State University of New York.  Be honest, flexible, patient, and a good listener.  Good ideas but not enough.
 
I searched for more.

​Derry Koralek and Ray Collins give advice on how to set up a tutoring program and interview potential tutors.  A good list of ideas, but still, how can the actual tutor know how to develop a quality program? 
 
I kept searching.

James Larson provided a bit more content on exactly how to structure a tutoring session—from the tutor’s point-of -view.  I particularly liked his statement:
​
            “Adapt your teaching method to the student’s learning method.”
 
Yet still, I’m not sure a tutor could develop a “quality” tutoring program just on Larson’s advice.  Therefore, we need to develop guidelines that will help us create quality tutoring programs. 
 
In response to my earlier definition of tutoring, I have had requests for such guidelines. Therefore, I have compiled Five Keys to Successful Tutoring.  As always, I am referring to reading tutoring.  Yes, we need tutoring in math and other subjects, but my work and research are exclusively in reading. 
I welcome your responses.
 
__________

For more about my earlier definition, reread:  Will Tutoring Correct the Learning Losses Caused by COVID?  Part 1
__________
  
 
Five Keys to Successful Tutoring
1. Focus on the student:  Tutoring is not about educational trends or test scores.  Tutoring is about the student.  Before you can help a student improve, you must understand what the student needs to learn in order to improve.  You cannot just sit down and start teaching.  You must learn as much as possible about the student you are working with.  What does this student need to be successful in the classroom?  What has caused this student to fail to learn and why?  The “why” is very important.  Then, establish tutoring goals based on the student’s needs.  I taught a 15-year-old, who had failed for 9 years, to read. The school said that the student would never be able to learn to read.  I was successful because I first tried to understand exactly what the student did and did not know about letter sounds.  Then, I used vowel clustering and taught the student to read.  Tutoring can be very successful, but you must look at the individual needs of each student.  There is no such thing as “one size fits all” in tutoring.  What works with one student, may not work with another student.  You must individualize your instruction to fit the needs of each individual student.

​2. Select a teaching curriculum that fits the student's specific needs.  Do not just use the curriculum everyone else is using.  Select your tutoring curriculum carefully.  I have used vowel clustering for the past 23 years in my work with all ages.  I have worked in both inner city and rural locations.   I have worked with students diagnosed with dyslexia, ADHD, Aspergers, autism, and an array of cognitive processing problems.  Vowel clustering allows me to adjust my tutoring lessons to the specific needs of each student.  This is very important.  Oftentimes, we expect students to adjust to the curriculum.  Instead, we should be selecting a curriculum that will adjust to the needs of the student.  I worked with a young student one year who had been held back in kindergarten. My first thought was, how can you fail kindergarten?  Unfortunately, the student was unable to memorize the required number of words to be promoted to first grade.  With vowel clustering, there is no memorization.  By the end of the year, the student was reading above his age level.  In my new book, shown at the top of the page, I give several examples showing how I adapted vowel clustering to meet the needs of each individual student.
 
3. Create a positive learning environment—even online.  A positive learning environment is more than just pretty pictures or motivating quotes.  A positive learning environment is how you teach.  A positive learning environment includes the words you speak, how you talk with your student.  Notice, I did not say how you talk “to” your student.  There is a difference.  Many students do not know how to communicate and interact with others, especially with a tutor.  Unfortunately, the same can be said of many adults.  Communication is more than just talking and listening.  Communication means trying to understand how and why a person feels as they do.  A positive learning environment must include good communication.  A positive learning environment also includes the way you teach.  Intrinsic motivation is better than extrinsic.  Intrinsic is driven by an internal desire to learn.  You want to tap into this internal desire to learn, to improve, to start over.  Offering a candy bar is extrinsic and can be classified as a bribe.  Extrinsic motivation backfires eventually.  It may seem to work at first, but it soon fades, and you are left with failure.  “Do it or else” demands do not work either.  Strive for intrinsic motivators.  I use hands-on learning techniques.

Tutoring is being discussed nationwide as a possible solution for correcting the learning losses that were caused by the pandemic, but will tutoring be enough? First, let's define our terms and establish exactly what we are classifying as tutoring.
 
What is tutoring?
There are lots of definitions, some complicated, others as simple as “to teach.”  Just saying that tutoring is teaching does not really tell us anything.  An article entitled, “What Tutoring is and What Tutoring Is Not” states that tutoring is a “systematic learning experience” that improves a student’s attitude toward learning a particular subject as well as their academic performance or improvement in that subject.  Tutoring is usually self-paced and may be conducted as an individual, as one-on-one, or in a small group.
​
This definition gives us three principles:  (1) tutoring is systematic, meaning it uses a specific curriculum designed to help students learn specific skills, (2) effective tutoring must improve academic performance, and (3) tutoring should improve the student’s attitude, and mental well-being toward learning, especially about the subject being taught.  As a psychologist, I believe this is important because I encounter so many students who say, “I hate reading” or “I’m dumb, I can’t read.”  It’s not enough to just teach skills.  We must also help students improve their self-efficacy—belief that they can learn.  Mental wellness includes helping students believe in themselves, believe in their ability to learn, and then demonstrating that the student is and can be successful with the subject being tutored. ​

​Everyone is still talking about the learning losses caused by COVID.  The big question is are we making any progress toward correcting these learning losses?

The answer is unclear.  Several states are reporting problems:

• The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, Learning Recovery and Acceleration (OLR) reported that “learning progress slowed across all grades and subjects.”  The OLR also stated on the average, students made less progress last year than in previous years.

 

• Superintendent Kevin Whitaker from Jamestown Public Schools (JPS) in New York state also confirms concern over learning losses during the pandemic. He explained that JPS would be working on overcoming these learning losses through Academic Intervention Services (AIS).  As Superintendent Whitaker stated,

“We are focused on learning loss recovery….  There’s been a tremendous amount of loss over the course of the past two years, and we’re hoping to address that with AIS teachers and reading teachers and some additional teachers on staff. But the second big item would be mental health support. We are committed to addressing the mental health stresses, anxieties and other mental health issues that have arisen as a result of the pandemic.” 


It is wise that the Jamestown Public Schools are looking at both the academic and mental health needs of their students.  In my reading clinics, I combine both learning and counseling.  It helps students learn and correct old learning problems.
 
While many state education officials talk about learning losses in the classroom from COVID, I could not find anyone reporting on improvement.  In fact, how will we know if learning losses are being corrected?
 
The only true way to measure improvement is through testing.  Although some states are reporting test data, most are not. 

 
One Example:  The Texas Education Agency Report
 
As stated earlier, it’s hard to measure the exact extent of learning losses from the pandemic.  Accurate test data is difficult to obtain unless states compare today’s test data with the test results obtained before the pandemic.  You cannot compare apples and oranges.  In order to accurately measure learning loss, you must use the same test. 
 
Fortunately, the Texas Education Agency did release comparative test data and stated,
 
“Since 2012, test results in the state had been steadily improving, but after COVID-19 related disruptions, the percentage of students meeting reading expectations dropped back to 2016 rates and the percentage meeting math expectations dropped to 2013 passing rates. Math test performance saw the most significant drop, from 50% of students meeting their grade level in 2019 to only 35% this year.”
 
This is from the 2021 report.  The 2022 scores are not available yet.  The report shows what most of us would expect from 2021—no improvement.
 
 
Were Learning Losses Worse Before or After COVID?
 
The Texas Education Agency report shows that 50% were reading below grade level before COVID.  The report talks extensively about how well scores were rising before COVID, but if you look carefully at the test scores presented in this report, the learning losses before COVID are much greater than the losses caused by COVID.
 
This is not a new problem, and it is not just happening in Texas.  It is a nationwide problem.  As a nation, we had devastating learning losses in reading before COVID.  According to the Nation’s Report Card, over 60% of students could not read at grade level before the pandemic. 
 
___________

For more on the learning losses that existed in reading before COVID, see:  Reading Wars are Over!  Phonics Failed.  Whole Language Failed.  Balanced Literacy Failed. Who Won?  It Certainly Wasn’t the Students
___________ 

​Our original question was:  Are schools making progress in reducing learning loss?
Thus far, we have not found any proof of improvement. 
It seems that so far, everyone is still trying to discuss how much COVID affected students.  Schools are talking about solutions, but we are not seeing any progress reports on that improvement.


Is There a Solution?
 
Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath continued,
 
“… only 4% of students across all grades who are below grade level catch up within two years.”
 
Isn’t a 4% expected improvement rate completely and totally unacceptable?
  
At my reading clinic, I expect and produce such results as:

• A student who failed for nine straight years in public school is now reading.
• A student diagnosed with ADHD and failing in reading moved up two grade levels in one year.
• A student diagnosed with dyslexia and whose parents tried everything, including expensive private one-on-one systematic phonics tutoring, learned to read, and moved up to beginning chapter books in one year.
• Six children who entered the program reading at the (pre-K) level ended the year reading at the 2nd grade reading level.  Only one child in the group was a first grader.
• One student started at the pre-K level and ended the year reading at the third-grade level, while a second grader started the year reading below first grade and ended at the fourth-grade level.  This improvement was just from September to May.
• One year, a student moved up four grade levels in reading, 4 students moved up three grade levels in reading, and 8 students moved up two grade levels in reading after only 8 months of instruction. 
• Another year, two students moved up four grade levels in reading, 3 students moved up 3 grade levels in reading, and 6 students moved up two grade levels in reading after only 8 months of instruction. 
• Two students moved up 2 grade levels in reading after only 48 hours of instruction.

For the data on these students, see my book  After-School Programming and Intrinsic Motivation 

So, yes, we can teach failing students to read.  If we use the correct teaching methods, we can correct all reading failure—before and after COVID.  What method did I use?  Vowel Clustering.

_______________

For more on Vowel Clustering, read:  Vowel Clustering Works Better than Phonics with At-Risk Students
_______________

 
Will Tutoring Help?
 
The Texas Education report does say that Texas will be offering tutoring and special instruction to all students who do not pass the state test.  Neither the new state law or the Texas Education Agency report explains if such tutoring will enable students to pass the state test and/or what steps will be taken for students who still do not pass the state test after tutoring.
  
We need to remember that most schools offer tutoring, even offered tutoring for students who were struggling before COVID.  Tutoring is not new.  Yet the Nation’s Report Card test scores were higher in reading in 2017 than they were in 2019.  Yes, reading scores went down in 2019—before COVID.
 
The Nation’s Report Card showed that 4th grade students had a proficiently level (able to read at grade level) of 37% being able to read at grade level in 2017.  They went down to 35% in 2019 who were able to read at grade level.  This was before COVID.
 
In 8th grade the Nation’s Report Card showed similar results.  Students went down from 36% proficient (able to read) to 34% proficient.  Yes, that means that only 34% of 8th grade students were able to read at the 8th grade level.  These scores are also before COVID.
 
Tutoring alone may not be enough to correct the learning losses that our students are facing.
 
We need to admit that we had a major educational problem in reading long before COVID.  Because if we had been using the correct teaching methods in the classroom between 2017 and 2019, there is absolutely no reason that scores should have gone down.  Unfortunately, scores will continue to go down until we change the way (teaching method) we teach children to read.  We can blame it on COVID, but the real problem is not COVID learning losses.  The real problem is how we teach children to read in the public school classroom.
 
I will say it again.  Yes, we can teach children to read.  If we use the correct teaching methods, we can correct all learning losses in reading.  Unfortunately, we are not using the correct teaching methods in the classroom.  No, I did not say it was the fault of teachers.  Most teachers do not choose their own teaching methods.  It’s also not poverty.  Many of the students who I listed above from my reading clinic lived in the housing projects and were failing in reading when they entered my reading clinic. 
 
School boards, politicians, and angry mobs choose the teaching methods in most school districts.  Education in today’s public schools has nothing to do with teaching.  Schools have become political pawns.
 
____________

For more on teaching methods presently being used in the classroom, see:  When Phonics Fails  
____________

Are the Schools Using the Best Solutions?

I think that it is vital to correct any and all learning losses caused by COVID, but just returning to the 2019 reading level is not acceptable. Continuing to use the same old teaching method is also not going to work.  We cannot just ignore the learning losses that existed before COVID. 
​
I have talked about this problem before.  Most schools want to talk about the educational devastation caused by COVID, but they rarely mention the learning losses that existed before COVID.
 
Paul Reville, former Secretary of Education for the state of Massachusetts, provides an excellent point to consider as we strive to correct learning losses in the classroom.
 
“Those of us in education know these problems have existed forever….  We need to redesign our systems of child development and education.”
 
“… in this situation, we don’t simply want to frantically struggle to restore the status quo because the status quo wasn’t operating at an effective level ….  We should be asking: How do we make our school, education, and child-development systems more individually responsive to the needs of our students? Why not construct a system that meets children where they are and gives them what they need inside and outside of school in order to be successful? Let’s take this opportunity to end the “one size fits all” factory model of education.”
 
Reville is correct.  If we are to help students improve, then we must correct all learning losses, not just the ones caused by COVID.  This brings us back to the question:  Are the schools using the best solutions to solve learning loss problems?
 
____________

For more on the methods schools are using to correct learning losses, read:  What Are Schools Saying about Pandemic Learning Losses, and What Is Being Done to Help? (Part 2 of a Series)
 ____________
 

Did We Answer the Question?  

We did not find any proof that schools have corrected the learning losses from COVID.  We are still waiting to see proof of improvement.  The primary suggestion that most schools discuss is tutoring.
 
Is Tutoring the Answer?

Many of the schools are talking about tutoring.  Tutoring can be effective; it may also not be effective.  Like every other teaching method, it depends on the tutoring methods being used.  Can tutoring solve the learning loss that students are struggling with? 
 
We will look at tutoring in more depth next time.  We will examine different tutoring methods that schools apply. In future posts, we’ll also examine some research that shows which tutoring methods may be best for helping struggling students recover.

Instead of trying to imitate others and following their example, be brave, wear a mask.

The coronavirus is becoming more and more contagious, so it’s important to choose the right coronavirus mask.
 

Yes, We Still Need Masks 

If you have been trying to decide whether you still need to wear a mask or not, a party of some of our leaders in Washington, D. C. just gave us a firsthand demonstration on why you should wear a mask:

 
“The number of people who tested positive for the coronavirus after attending the elite Gridiron Club dinner in Washington rose to 53 on Friday, all but confirming that the April 2 event marked a significant outbreak.

“The latest count suggests that at least 8 percent of the 630 journalists, politicians and VIPS who attended the annual dinner have reported positive tests.”

 
Yes, you guessed it, people were not wearing masks.  Most were vaccinated and many had received a booster shot, but no, they didn’t bother to wear their masks.  Masks provide that extra level of protection.
 
As Kimberly Prather, an aerosol scientist at the Scripps Institute of oceanography explains that, with the BA.2, a more contagious variant, old safety rules no longer apply.  Prather says that the old 6-foot rule is useless.  Prather contends that the rule should cover anyone sharing the air in a room. 

Similarly, Dr. Carlos Del Rio, an infectious disease specialist at Emory University, states:
 
"If you were part of an event where there's multiple infections, you will have been exposed. I don't care if it's 6 feet or 15…."
 
As obviously demonstrated in Washington, staying six feet apart or even being vaccinated is not enough.  If there is just one infected person in a room, then everyone is going to be exposed.
 
Remember our earlier analogy that COVID spreads similar to cigarette smoke?  It certainly did in Washington. As Meryl Davids Landau explains: 

 
“It’s true that viral particles are concentrated closest to an infected individual… but just as cigarette smoke eventually spreads throughout a room, so, too, does the coronavirus.”
​
________________

For more information, read:  Does My Child Still Need to Wear a Mask at School?
________________

Six feet or 15 feet will not be enough. Since it has been demonstrated that we still need to wear a mask, which mask will you choose?

 
Which Mask Should I Wear?
 
If you are trying to decide which mask to wear, it can be so confusing. 
 
The experts are saying to wear a N95, but what are the differences among the N95, KN95, and the KN94? 
 
 
The Difference Between the N95 and the KN95
 
Some of the experts are saying to be careful when purchasing KN95 face masks.  The KN95 is not necessarily as effective as the N95 mask.  Why?  Because of how it is made.
 
Dr. Marcus Schabacker, MD, PhD, and president and chief executive officer of ECRI (a non-profit organization that tests healthcare products used in hospitals) cautions people to be careful when purchasing KN95 masks. 


“…product safety, found that 60 to 70 percent of imported KN95 masks do not filter 95 percent of aerosol particulates, contrary to what their name suggests.” 
 
 
Joseph Allen, a COVID and ventilation expert from Harvard also stated that the N95 is best. He warns us to be careful when purchasing a KN95.

 
“… KN95s … a designation that’s very similar to an N95, but it’s not a US manufactured designation. I’m more cautious with these because we’ve had counterfeit [masks] on the market, some producing or providing only twenty five percent capture efficiency, despite being designated 95 percent. So KN95s can be good, it just requires consumers to do a bit more homework to look up on the FDA and CDC Web sites for the links that describe the testing done on masks by different manufacturers.  … if you’re going to buy a KN95, [make] sure that it’s a mask that has been vetted and verified by the US, FDA and CDC."

________________
 
The CDC website:  Approved N95 Respirators 3M Suppliers List | NPPTL | NIOSH | CDC
________________

Another factor to consider is that the KN95 does not provide the same breathability that the N95 provides. According to Conney Safety: 
 
“Besides the N95 being made to meet US standards and the KN95 being made to meet Chinese standards, data obtained from the performance testing of both masks show that there is a lower pressure drop on inhalation and exhalation for the N95 facemask. This signifies that the N95 is slightly more breathable than the KN95 face mask.”
 
One other concern is that the KN95 often fastens over the ears.  The N95 uses straps around the head,  which gives a better fit and more protection. 
 
Selecting the right mask is important.  Therefore, you need to check the manufacturer before purchasing a mask.  Also, be careful and watch out for false advertising. 

________________

For websites that give advice on selecting masks for children, see:  Do We Still Need to Wear a Mask?
________________

Is the KN94 safe to use?
 
Allen does say that a KF94 is usually very safe.

“… a KF94, these are masks certified out of Korea and as the name implies, ninety four percent effective. So really good masks. They tend to have a good fit and it’s a trusted certification out of Korea. These are widely used in South Korea.”

 
Buy a quality mask, but remember that fit is still a major concern. Olga Khazan explains: 


“… your mask has to fit well, and it has to be an N95 or similar—cloth masks offer scant protection against Omicron. “Well fitting” means you shouldn’t have any air leakage out of the sides of the mask, near the nose, or by the chin. If you wear glasses, they shouldn’t fog up….  The kind of mask that’s most likely to fit you snugly is the kind with back-of-the-head straps, as opposed to ear loops….” 

 
So, the conclusion is that a KN95 might be okay, but be careful, because some companies out of China are making KN95 masks that do not work as well.  Always check the CDC chart for the effectiveness before you buy a mask.

Don’t let caution keep you from buying and wearing a mask though.  Wear a quality mask and wear it correctly to protect yourself and those around you from COVID.

A lady proudly marched up and down the sidewalk carrying a sign that read,

“No Mask.  No Way.  I Choose Freedom.”

Exactly what was this lady choosing?  According to statistics, she was choosing COVID.  She was choosing to help spread COVID.  She was choosing to help COVID continue to mutate and form new variants.  She was choosing to help COVID continue to kill.
 
As of this week, COVID has killed 982,371 people in the United States. Why would anyone choose to help COVID continue to kill?   And yes, people are still dying.  Just last week, there was an average of  661 recorded deaths caused by COVID per day.  Yes, the numbers are down, but COVID is not over.
  
Many of those who have died were parents.  That means that thousands of children no longer have a parent to help support and care for them.  Nyesha Black, director of demographic research at the University of Alabama stated that:
 
“We will see the rippling effects of the pandemic on our society and the way it impacts individuals for generations….”
COVID is being listed as the third leading cause of death in the U.S., after heart disease and cancer.”
 
  
Why Would Anyone Choose to Support COVID? 
 
Unfortunately, every time you choose not to wear a mask, when you choose not to get vaccinated, or when you choose to not get your booster shot, that is exactly what you are choosing to do.  You may think you're supporting a political party or a particular politician, but in actuality, you are supporting COVID—and all of its many variants.  And COVID is a killer.
  
A September 2021 ABC News and Washington Post poll showed that vaccination and masking predict whether people will die of COVID:
 
“Unvaccinated Americans are several times more likely to be hospitalized and die….  For unvaccinated Americans, the decision to not wear a mask or follow other restrictions, ultimately caused increased transmission [of COVID], which in turn, resulted in more severe outcomes … [in] the 10 states with the lowest percentage of full vaccinations, death rates were almost twice as high as that of states with the highest vaccination rates….” 

 
Is It Really That Difficult to Wear A Mask?
 
I was at a medical facility this past week that clearly requires all staff and patients to wear masks.  There were signs covering the walls, in the hallway, and even on the chairs, saying to please keep your mask on at all times.  Yet, one lady sat in the waiting room with her mask dangling from her ear but nowhere near her mouth or nose.  She became furious when she was asked to put her mask back on.  She even admitted that she was immunocompromised.  In the lab at the same facility, a man walked in with a mask on, sat down, and immediately took his mask off and put it in his pocket.  Why?  He was at least polite when asked to put his mask back on.
 
Why Is It so Difficult for Some People to Give in and Wear a Mask?
 
Steven C. Hayes, Ph.D., psychologist and professor at the University of Nevada, is the author of the popular book, Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life.  His research and work has demonstrated how “language and thought can lead to human suffering.” In a recent Psychology Today article, he outlined several reasons for people refusing to wear masks.  He said:
“…the science is clear: Wearing a mask is an effective measure to stop the spread of the virus (and research has shown that any concern about not being able to breathe properly is unfounded and untrue).

“Wearing a mask is a necessary discomfort to slow the spread of the virus, and to prevent thousands of unnecessary deaths. And yet plenty of people continue not wearing one. They may refuse because it’s uncomfortable, for political reasons, because other people are not wearing one, because ….  And even if people wear a mask, they often do it improperly, covering only their mouth but not their nose, thus making the mask more or less obsolete…. When you walk into an enclosed public space, you are better off with a mask. I know I’m not the first to tell you this, and I will not be the last. Almost everyone understands it at this point, and yet plenty of people continue to not wear a mask—even against their own self-interest.”

Dr. Hayes went on to propose two ideas for getting people to wear masks.
 
Step 1:  Know why it is important for you to wear a mask.

“The more you know why wearing a mask is important for you, the more you are going to act accordingly, and put on the piece of cloth. You have already heard plenty of reasons, but it’s important you find the one that matters most to you. Maybe you wish to protect your grandpa. Maybe you wish to be seen as caring. Knowing your why can be truly powerful, and it becomes even stronger still if you connect it to something bigger than yourself.”
 
Step 2: Empower yourself to do something for others.

“There are still many mysteries in the field of psychology, but after decades as a scientist and therapist, I can assure you: The more you allow yourself to feel uncomfortable in the service of what is important to you, the better your quality of life will be. In other words, by allowing yourself to feel the discomfort of wearing a mask, the more you empower yourself to do what matters to you, and the easier you will be wearing this mask.”
 
Dr. Hayes goes on to say: 

“Life itself asks us to learn not to turn away from what is painful or difficult and instead to turn toward our fears, doubts, and discomforts in order to live a life full of meaning and purpose. And you can practice this skill right here and now, just by covering your face with a small piece of fabric.” 
 
Dr. Hayes makes an excellent point that sometimes we need to step beyond our own self-interests and think of the needs of others.  This is an excellent article, and I encourage you to read it in its entirety. 
 
 
Are You Sure People Still Need to Wear a Mask? 
 
But wait, you may be saying, many people are saying that we no longer need to wear a mask.  Wrong.  You still need to wear a mask because masks provide an extra level of protection.  Only about 65% of the people in the United States have been vaccinated, and only 50% of those who are eligible have received a booster shot.  Vaccines are the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID, but masks provide a second level of protection.
 
Likewise, Dr. Anthony Fauci reminds us that:
​
“The Omicron subvariant BA.2 is more transmissible than regular Omicron, so more people are likely to get it….  The risk of getting the Omicron variant is significantly higher for people not yet vaccinated. The easiest way to prevent [a surge] is to continue to get people vaccinated." 
 
So, yes, you still need to wear a mask because most people who are unvaccinated also do not bother to wear a mask.  Wearing a mask as well as being vaccinated and boosted provides the best protection from COVID.
 
Every state has now removed its mask requirements.  COVID is free to spread, especially among the unvaccinated. Yet, even for those who are vaccinated and boosted, wearing a mask can keep you from having a “breakthrough” COVID infection.

 
But Mild Infections Aren’t Bad, Are They?
 
Yes, even a mild COVID infection can be dangerous because even “mild” infections can cause cognitive processing problems.  Research shows that COVID effects cognitive ability—the ability to think.  This reduction in cognitive ability even affects people who have “mild” COVID. According to a major scientific study:
 
“People who have recovered from COVID-19 tend to score significantly lower on an intelligence test compared to those who have not contracted the virus … the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 can produce substantial reductions in cognitive ability….”

________________
 
For more on the cognitive effects of “mild” COVID, read Should We Be Concerned about the Effects of COVID on Cognitive Processing and Executive Functioning Concerning Classroom Learning Losses?
________________
 
Masks Help Protect You From COVID
 
 
As Joseph Allen, a COVID and ventilation expert from Harvard explained: 

“…universal masking is still safest… [but] If you are vaccinated, boosted, and wearing a well-fitted N95 or similar indoors … regardless of what everyone else is doing… your risk is extremely low….  An N95 mask filters about 95 percent of airborne particles.”

But Allen goes on to explain that your mask must fit properly.  Your mask must cover both your nose and your mouth with a tight seal—no gaps.

“…two surgical masks—one on me, one on you—filter only about 91 percent, [but because] most people’s masks aren’t perfectly sealed onto their faces, studies show that N95s reduce the wearer’s uptake of coronavirus particles by 57 to 86 percent. And that’s on top of the protection that vaccines and boosters already offer.”
 
So, yes, wearing a mask makes a big difference.  The kind of mask you wear determines your level of protection.  Wear a N95, KN95 or KF94.
 
Also, the way you wear your mask makes a big difference.  Pulling your mask down underneath your nose because you are afraid that you won’t be able to breathe does not protect you from COVID.  It leaves you and everyone around you wide open to exposure. 
 
Wearing a mask loosely looped over your ears but not fitting tightly to your face is also not effective.  Don’t worry.  You’ll be able to breathe, even with a tight-fitting N-95 mask.  Surgeons wear masks all day long and breathe just fine.  When you go to ER, the personnel are going to be wearing masks and have been wearing masks all day, even during long shifts.  Workers who paint cars in factories, wear masks all day long while they work—even before COVID.  Some woodworkers, especially sanders, wear masks to protect their lungs.  Wearing a mask is not harmful or hard to do. 
 
It's easy to wear a mask, and who knows, it may save your life.  Are you planning to wear a mask today when you leave the house?
 
Be smart.  Wear a mask.  The life you save may be your own.
Photo: Elaine Clanton Harpine

A parent ask me recently, “How does it help if my child is the only one wearing a mask in the classroom?”
 
According to the experts, yes, a mask does help keep your child safe, even if they are the only person wearing a mask in the entire classroom or school. 
 
As Dr. Jaimie Meyer, an infectious disease physician at Yale Medicine, explains,
 
“It’s true that masks are most effective when everyone around you is wearing them. If someone is infected with COVID-19 and doesn’t know it, their mask is like putting a thumb over the end of a hose, preventing the virus from spewing….”
 
Dr. Meyer goes on to say that,
 
“…even when that infected person is maskless, anyone around them who has their own mask reduces the chance that those droplets will find their way to their respiratory system and sicken them.”
 
Dr. Meyer also states that,
 
“The strongest protection against the disease remains vaccination… Pfizer-BionTech shots were 85 percent effective ….   But masking may be the next most important thing you can do….  You should keep your mask at the ready because of what’s happening today, but also for what might happen tomorrow….  The mask helps you stay ahead of this disease.”
  
Dr. Meyer is not the only person saying that wearing a mask will help protect your child from COVID.  Linsey Marr, a Virginia Tech engineering professor and one of the world’s leading experts on viral transmission, stated that,
 
“…there is also plenty of evidence showing that masks protect the wearer even when others around them are mask-free. The amount of protection depends on the quality of the mask and how well it fits. Given that the Omicron variant is far more infectious than other variants, health experts recommend upgrading your mask to an N95, KN95 or KF94, which are all high-quality medical masks. Other variables, such as how much time you are exposed to an infected person and how well a space is ventilated also will affect your risk.”
 
Can you believe that we are still arguing over whether children should or should not wear a mask at school?  Well, we are, and the answer is still the same.  Masks are safe to wear all day at school.  Now, we add the fact that even if you are the only person or student wearing a mask in the room, wearing a mask will help keep you from catching COVID.
 
_____________

For research on the safety of wearing a mask, see Do Mask Mandates Cause Psychological or Medical Problems for Children in School?
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I’m Vaccinated.  Isn’t That Enough?

Some people may be saying, “but wait, I thought getting vaccinated was all that I needed.  Isn’t that why I got vaccinated, so I wouldn’t be stuck wearing a mask all day?” Yet, a recent report from Cornell University demonstrates very clearly how effective wearing a mask to class can help curb COVID.  This is a current report from this past week.
 
“Between March 17 and March 23, Cornell recorded 515 positive COVID-19 infections among students, staff and faculty, according to data from the university.  …97% of the student population is vaccinated, while 92% of those eligible are boosted.  The increase comes less than two weeks after the school dropped its mask mandate for most locations….
 
“Nationwide, BA.2, now accounts for more than a third of new COVID-19 cases.”
 
Being vaccinated is very important and everyone should be vaccinated and get a booster when eligible.  We should also not forget to wear a mask—students as well as adults.

 
Do You Need To Wear A Mask Outside?
 
Some people will say, “I don’t need a mask.  I’m staying 6 feet away from other people and that will keep me safe.  Or, I have a plexiglass divider.  Or I’m outside.”  However, Marr goes on to explain that, yes, you do need a mask.
 
“It’s true that viral particles are concentrated closest to an infected individual… but just as cigarette smoke eventually spreads throughout a room, so, too, does the coronavirus.”
  
The cigarette smoke comparison is clear and easy to understand.  We have all been in a room when someone was smoking, even if the person is totally on the other side of the room, smoke travels.  In the backyard, if the neighbor two houses down is smoking outside, it travels all the way to your house.  Just like cigarette smoke, COVID travels throughout a room and even in the air outside. 
 
The CDC makes it clear that you need to wear the mask “consistently” for it to do any good.  You can’t put it on, take it off, pull it down underneath your chin, or wear it very loosely.  To be effective, the mask must fit snugly over the nose and mouth.
 
So, don’t hop out of your car to pump gas without a mask or run inside to the restroom without a mask.  It doesn’t count if you are diligent about wearing a mask at work but leave the mask in the car when running errands.
 
The same is true for children.  Don’t climb on the bus without a mask.  Your child may even want to consider wearing a mask out on the playground. 
 
Remember, COVID is just like the cigarette smoke: it travels through the air.  Masks do not take the place of vaccinations, but they are an important step in staying healthy.
 
As we discussed in my last blog post, even mild COVID can cause cognitive processing problems.  So, be prepared, don’t leave home without your mask.
 
_____________

For more information on cognitive processing and COVID, read Should We Be Concerned about the Effects of COVID on Cognitive Processing and Executive Functioning Concerning Classroom Learning Losses?
_____________ 
 
We have established that a mask helps protect you and your child, even if you are the only person wearing a mask in the room.  We have also learned that vaccines and masks work hand-in-hand together to give you the best protection.  It’s not an either-or situation, you need both.
 
Get vaccinated.  Get boosted when eligible.  And don’t forget to wear a mask, N95, KN95 or KF94 if possible.

In September, I told the story of a 15-year-old boy who returned to school after COVID, who was confused, unable to remember what he had previously learned, or even remember what he studied the day before?  This was a top student.  In his own words, he said, “Am I going to be able to be a good student ever again?  Because this is really scary.”
 
We have known from the beginning that COVID can cause cognitive processing problems after a severe illness.  Now, new research shows that even mild  COVID may affect cognitive processing and executive function.  Cognitive processing and executive function are essential if we are to correct the learning losses that we have in classrooms right now. 
 
Children cannot learn to read or work math problems if their ability to process information cognitively is severely affected or changed.  Children must be mentally engaged with the learning process.  They must be able to think and process information in order to learn.

Take reading as an example.  Reading comprehension occurs in the brain.  A child must be able to cognitively process the information being taught to learn to read.  As Dr. Sally Shaywitz explains,
 
“In order to read, a child must “enter the language system,” this means that the child must activate and use the brain circuits that are already in place for oral language….”
 
If, after COVID (even mild COVID), the child can no longer “enter the language system” or understand what is being taught in the classroom because of “brain fog” or other processing problems, then the child is not going to learn.
 
While we have been fighting over keeping children in school, we have totally overlooked the harms of long-covid and now possibly even mild COVID.  If future research continues to support the claim that cognitive processing and executive function are affected by even mild COVID, then we have a major problem in the classroom, a problem that pertains directly to learning and correcting learning losses.
 
Indeed, for the past several weeks, we have been discussing what the schools plan to do—and even possibly should do—to correct learning losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic.  As we look for answers to correcting learning losses in the classroom, a new research study has sparked a whole new line of questioning. 

 
Does a Mild COVID Infection Affect How the Brain Functions as Children Experience Learning Loss?
 
For the most part, schools have only concerned themselves with learning losses caused by lack of classroom attendance, use of online teaching, the wearing of masks, or anything that they considered to interfere with a normal classroom education.  Yet, research now shows that even mild cases of COVID can lead to cognitive processing and executive functioning problems. 
 
First, let's define our terms.  Then, we will look at the research studies.
 
The two problems that we are looking at are cognitive processing and executive function.  Any educator will tell you that these are very important as children learn. David Eagleman, Ph.D., explains: 
 
“Cognitive processing” describes how the brain gathers and uses information.  Slow cognitive processing creates problems when students are trying to learn.  Therefore, a problem with cognitive processing caused by COVID should be a major concern as we attempt to correct learning losses."
 
The second problem that we are looking at is executive function.  “Executive function” can be defined like this:
 
“Executive function is a set of mental skills that include working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control. We use these skills every day to learn, work, and manage daily life.”
 
Cognitive processing and executive function work hand in hand. When cognitive processing slows down for some reason, this affects executive function and the ability to learn.  So, if we are to help students overcome learning losses, we absolutely must identify and correct any cognitive processing or executive function problems.
 
 
What Does New Research Show?
 
The recent University of Oxford study showed that even mild COVID can change brain tissue. On Monday, March 7th, the University of Oxford reported on research with 785 participants over the age of 50.  These participants had a neural image of their brain on file before COVID.  Each participant received two brain scans approximately 38 months apart.  Anyone with a severe case (sending them to the hospital) was not included in the study.  The researchers found that those who tested positive for COVID-19 showed an:
 
“… increase in brain tissue damage, a reduction in brain size, and a reduction in gray matter thickness.” 
 
Continuing, they explained that MRI exams showed noticeable brain problems:
 
“Between the pairs of MRIs, which were separated by an average of about three years, …. those who had Covid [showed]: a greater loss of what’s known as gray matter in the brain, as well as a higher rate of abnormalities in the brain tissue.”
 
Did these brain abnormalities from mild COVID affect cognitive skills?  Yes, they did:
 
“On cognitive function tests, those who had Covid demonstrated a slower ability to process information and had lower marks on what’s known as executive function, which is an umbrella measure of the brain’s ability to manage complex tasks.”
 
This is a peer-reviewed study, and the publisher even offers the peer review statements online for you to read.
 
 
What Does This Study Prove?
 
As one researcher from the University of Oxford study stated, there was “definite cognitive decline between the brain scans” from just mild COVID.  The Oxford study is one of the first studies to document these cognitive changes in the brain after mild COVID.
 
This study from the University of Oxford is an excellent study, but as Dr. Benedict Michael from the University of Liverpool told Newsweek, we still need to know more:  
 
"The bottom line is, this is a very methodologically sound study with pre- and post-COVID controls. But now we need studies to determine what this actually means for people in terms of cognitive function and quality of life ...."

We do not have a similar study with pre- and post-neuroimaging brain scans with children, but this study from Oxford is one of the first large-scale pre- and post-test evaluations of the actual changes that occurred in the brain after a mild case of COVID-19.  This study was also conducted before the vaccine was widespread. 

  
Are There Any Other Studies That Report Similar Findings?
 
Even though we do not have pre- and post-brain scans of children who suffered from mild COVID, we do have other studies and some doctors believe that children and teens can be suffering from the same cognitive processing and executive function problems as the people from the Oxford study. 
 
Doctors from Mount Sinai reported that COVID patients 18 and older who were only treated in the emergency department, then released and sent home (mild cases)  “…also had developed thinking problems.”
 
Dr. Igor Koralnik, chief of the division of neuro-infectious disease and global neurology at Northwestern Medicine, supports the findings from Mount Sinai and says that yes young people with mild cases can experience cognitive processing problems. 
 
Dr. Koralnik says:

“This study confirms what we have also seen at Northwestern, that cognitive problems are persistent both in patients who were previously hospitalized and also in patients who had only mild respiratory symptoms….”
 
So, something is definitely happening in the brain, even when people have a mild case of COVID. 
 
 
How Does the Oxford Study Relate to Students in the Classroom?
 
We need to become more aware of these cognitive processing problems, especially as students who have had COVID return to school.  What should we do to help these students struggling with mild and long-term COVID problems?
 
A video of a 12-year-old’s story shows the dramatic difference COVID can make in the life of a young person. I encourage you to watch this video.  The video also offers advice on how to deal with long-covid at school. 
 
 
Where Does That Leave Us in Terms of Learning Loss in the Classroom?
 
Searching for answers? Many questions remain to be answered.  Research continues.  Those of us who work with children and teens need to ask what this means for correcting learning losses in the classroom.
 
 
Cognitive Processing Problems are not New with Students who Struggle to Read.
 
At my reading clinic, I will definitely strengthen my efforts in cognitive processing and executive function.  I already emphasize these two areas since they are common problems for children struggling to learn to read.  I think that it would also be wise for the schools to strengthen support for students struggling with cognitive processing and executive function.  COVID may have had more of an effect than we think.
 
One way that I strengthen cognitive processing and executive function skills at my reading clinic is through hands-on learning projects.  For example, the space station displayed at the top of this blog post is an example of an activity that I use.  The space station is created completely and totally from the child's imagination.  There are no instructions, no patterns.  The child must think and figure out how to make things work.  As the children go around from workstation to workstation, they create and add to their space station.  The children must process information and then use that information to build their space station.  The children read stories, and we talk about what astronauts need to survive in space.  I have a table full of recyclable materials that they use to make their space station. They may add spelling words at one station, or stories they have written at a different station.  The only supplies needed are recyclables (plastic containers, tissue rolls, plastic cups…whatever you have on hand), construction paper, and glue. 
 
 
I call it the Peaceful World Space Station because I'm always emphasizing peace, sharing, and cooperation while I teach children to read.
 
Next, we will explore more ways to help students cope with cognitive processing and executive function problems.  Stay tuned.

A first grader was sent to my after-school program because he was not only failing in school, but reading below the kindergarten level.  After one year in my program, he was reading at the third-grade level—as a first grader.  You can imagine my shock the next fall when he was sent back to my program.  The school had retained him in first grade because of his absences throughout the year, even though he was reading at the third-grade level.  Yes, the child was absent a lot, even from my program.  The child had asthma.  I offered to go with the parent to talk with the school; she refused.  This was a single parent household with the family living in the housing projects.  The student had become a behavior problem in just the first two weeks of school; therefore, he was sent back to me to correct his behavior.  The child quickly informed me upon his return that he didn't need to work on reading because he was just a first grader.  I smiled and said, “Here at the Reading Orienteering Club, we all work on reading each and every day, and since you can read at the third-grade level, I'll expect to see you challenging yourself to read even harder books and stories.”  He finished the year reading at the fifth-grade level, even though he was still just a first grader in school.
 
Would equitable grading have made a difference for this student?  I think so.  Naturally, it depends on how the school uses equitable grading.

 
What Is Equitable Grading?
 
There are as many theories on equitable grading as there are people to write comments about the practice.  Yet, for us, I will define equitable grading to be mastery of the material being taught.  That means that the grade being given on the report card from school does not include attendance, class participation, or homework. Equitable grading does not use all sorts of fancy grading scales.  To me, equitable grading means that the grade reflects what the student has learned, not how well they cooperated or behaved in class.  Yes, I know that behavior and cooperation are important.  Trust me, I work with at-risk students who do not always walk in the door displaying their best behavior.  If you are a teacher or counselor, classroom behavior is always a concern.
 
Behavior and cooperation grades, if desired, should be totally separate from academic grades.  Yes, I know that teachers need classroom cooperation and appropriate behavior, but the grading system that we are presently using is not working.
 
 
Why Would Equitable Grading Help Us Overcome Learning Losses?
 
If the grades sent home on a report card actually reflected how well the student has learned the material being taught during that grading period, then parents and teachers alike would better understand what the student has and has not learned.
Parents often come to my reading clinic and tell me that they do not understand why the teacher says their child cannot read.  As they say, “He brought home a B on his report card.” 
If the report card grade includes behavior, attendance, and homework, a well-behaved child can easily bring home a B on their report card and still not be able to read.  Yes, I’ve seen it many times.
 
_________________

For more about learning losses in reading, see: 
Reading Wars are Over!  Phonics Failed.  Whole Language Failed.  Balanced Literacy Failed. Who Won?  It Certainly Wasn’t the Students  
_________________
 

Do Report Card Grades Reflect How Much Students Have Learned?
 
No, in general, I do not think that our grading system shows how much the student has actually learned.  When we talk about learning losses from COVID or even before COVID, we must actually be measuring true improvement.
 
If the school is adding points for homework turned in correctly or even incorrectly, then you do not have an equitable grading system.  Yes, some schools give points to students who turn in their homework even if it has the wrong answers.  These homework points are then added into the overall grade listed on the report card. 
 
If your report card grades add points for classroom participation or cooperation, then you do not have an equitable grading system.  As Jennifer Gunn said in an article for Resilient Educator, you cannot measure everything with one grade:
 
“The truth is, grades cannot represent everything. They can’t encompass a student’s behavior, ability to meet deadlines, mastery of content and skills, participation, effort, professionalism, attendance, punctuality, neatness, and likeability… inconsistent grading practices and the ways they can inadvertently perpetuate achievement and opportunity gaps among our students make grading an issue of equity. There are grading practices that are more bias-resistant and motivational that can improve learning, minimize grade inflation, reduce failure rates, and create stronger teacher-student relationships and more caring classrooms.” 
 
I totally agree that “grades cannot represent everything.”  If we are ever to overcome the learning losses from the pandemic and before, we must have a separate academic grade based on what the student has learned.
 
 
Are Schools Changing Their Grading Policies After COVID?
 
Some schools have made changes to their grading policies.  Unfortunately, it is uncertain whether these changes have helped or hurt.  There is no uniform policy change, and no one is checking to make sure that the changes that are being made have actually helped the students overcome learning losses.  As one report explains:
 
 “To curb an alarming rise in failing students at the height of the pandemic, school districts around the U.S. showed leniency in accepting late work and assigning grades.
  
As the coronavirus crisis subsides, some are sticking with it or adopting similar approaches — not because of the pandemic, but often because of what it revealed about how students are penalized for hardships like a lack of support at home, work obligations or poor internet access.”
 
Are lenient policies the answer to correcting learning losses?  I do not think so.  Leniency has its place, but we still need to measure exactly what the student is or is not learning.  At my reading clinic, I give students all the time they need to learn a concept or complete a project, but I never reduce the standards or the reading skills that they must learn.

 
Homework Does Not Reflect Equitable Grading.

As for adding in points for completing homework, we need to remember that it has been proven that homework does not teach and does not always translate into better learning.  I’ll have more to say about homework later.  For now, I will just say that we need to separate homework from the grade that is recorded on the report card, especially since homework has been shown through research not to be effective in helping students learn.

For more details and research on homework, I encourage you to read The Battle Over Homework by Harris Cooper.  If you cannot find it at your public library, it’s available for $3.98 from Better World Books.

 
Must We Rely on Grades?
 
Let me first explain, that I do not give grades in any of my programs, but I do test to make sure students are actually learning.  Regardless of whether it is with my one-on-one tutoring with vowel clustering, my weeklong Camp Sharigan program, or my year long after-school Reading Orienteering Club program, all of my programs test.  I pretest before students enter my program so I can tell where a student needs help.  I use a midpoint test to measure progress and determine who needs extra help.  The mid-point test also tells me if a student is not improving.  If a student is not showing improvement at mid-point, I immediately change my teaching approach with that student until I find a way to help that student.  My post-test at the end of the year tells me the grade level that the student is able to read at after instruction.  I test reading level, spelling, and comprehension.
 
Although testing is essential, testing must absolutely reflect what the student has learned.  If you do not test, you cannot prove that the student has actually learned anything.  I do not use such things as pop quizzes or unit tests.  Parents frequently tell me how much their child’s grades have improved at school.  I’m pleased, but I still rely on a pre-, midpoint, and post-test to tell me exactly how much the student has learned in my program.
 
Since my goal is to send students back to the classroom able to succeed in class, I need to make sure that they have actually learned the skills that I'm teaching.  It takes some students longer than others.  I teach to the individual needs of each student.
 
Behavior and cooperation are separate from teaching and learning.  Yes, I frequently must deal with after-school behaviors and a lack of cooperation.  But I do not grade or test behavior or cooperation. If you must grade behavior, I think that you should have a totally separate grade for behavior.  
 
Hands-on teaching techniques help resolve behavior and cooperation problems.  Puppets, rockets, pop-up houses, hands-on teaching techniques definitely keep students interested and engaged in the learning process. 
 _________________

For more about hands-on learning, see Teaching Technique #8:  Hands-on Learning
_________________
 
Where Should We Start?
 
If you are a teacher or school administrator, you may be asking how can you set up an equitable grading system? If you are a parent, wanting to sit down with your child’s teacher, you may be asking, how do I discuss equitable grading with the school or with a teacher?
 
Some questions you might ask are:

• Does the student's grade on their report card reflect what they have learned?
• Are points added or taken away when the student is absent or does not complete an assignment?
• Is the student allowed to make up a low grade with additional learning activities?  Or do they just retake the test?
• Does the report card grade reflect how well the student behaved in class or cooperated with others?
• Does the report card grade include points or grades for completed homework?
• How can the grade recorded on the report card more closely show what the student has learned and how the student has or has not improved in actually learning the concepts being taught in class?

 
As Sandra Burns, an elementary school principal, explains:
 
“Leaving out irrelevant grading factors, such as time taken or behavior concerns, will focus on the mastery level of each grade earned as opposed to outside factors that should be irrelevant to an overall grade earned.
 
As educators, we want the very best for all of our students. Grading assignments can at times be a challenge when we allow irrelevant criteria to weigh in on overall grades. The more we align our grading rubrics to the ultimate goal or objective of the assignment, the better equipped we’ll be to create meaningful and valid grading procedures within our classrooms.”  
  
So, the next time you have a chance to speak at a school board meeting or to attend a parent teacher conference, don't hesitate to ask, what can be done to provide more equitable grading for our students?  I really do think equitable grading will help us overcome learning losses.  It's not enough all by itself, but it's a good place to begin.

For children to do well in school, they must, first and foremost, protect their health. On February 4th, I mentioned that a link between COVID and diabetes had been found with children. 
 
The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that: “A new study shows children under age 18 were at greater risk of being diagnosed with diabetes more than 30 days after a COVID-19 infection than those who weren’t infected with the virus or those with pre-pandemic acute respiratory infections (ARI).”
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For more, see my earlier post:  Why Are Parents Still Afraid of the COVID-19 Vaccine? Is Misinformation to Blame?
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Many parents have shown interest in the CDC’s report.  Schools and teachers should also be concerned because when children are sick, they struggle to learn.  Teachers are also in a position to notice early warnings signs of diabetes—excessive thirst, frequent bathroom trips, exhaustion, and weight loss.
 
I promised to do more research.  This is what I found.
 
A Research Study from the United Kingdom: COVID-19 and Diabetes
 
Researchers from the Imperial College in London said,
​
"Our analysis shows that during the peak of the pandemic the number of new cases of type 1 diabetes in children was unusually high….  this study is the first to show a potential link between COVID-19 and the development of type 1 diabetes in some children.  [this occurs because] …the coronavirus spike protein might be able to attack and destroy insulin making cells in the pancreas.”
 
The researchers go on to say, “Type 1 diabetes can be managed through insulin injections. However, children can become very unwell if the disease is not recognised and treated early.  [symptoms to watch for]  …feeling thirsty, going to the toilet (passing urine) frequently, feeling tired and looking thinner (weight loss).”
 
Research so far does not prove a direct link between COVID and diabetes.  All we have so far is a correlation.  That means that we are finding an increase in diabetes among children who have had COVID.  This is a definite reason for concern but not proof that COVID caused the increase in diabetes.  We need more research.  Parents whose children have had COVID should definitely watch for the symptoms of diabetes and have their children’s blood sugar levels tested by their doctor.
 
One family’s story reminds all of us how important it is to watch for symptoms early.  I hope you will take a moment to watch this heartbreaking video.  By becoming more aware of the symptoms, you might be able to save the life of a child.
 
 
The CDC Study
Concern started when media interest spiked after the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported an increase in diabetes among children who had been diagnosed with COVID.  The CDC concluded,
 
“Persons aged <18 years with COVID-19 were more likely to receive a new diabetes diagnosis >30 days after infection than were those without COVID-19 and those with prepandemic acute respiratory infections. Non–SARS-CoV-2 respiratory infection was not associated with an increased risk for diabetes.”

The CDC, again, is basically stating that there is a correlation.  Although we do not as of yet have proof that COVID causes diabetes, such a correlation between COVID and diabetes should definitely concern all parents and doctors. 
 
Since the CDC report is fairly technical, I found this easy-to-understand summary from Li Cohen, a reporter for CBS News.  Cohen stated,
 
“[children] …diagnosed with COVID-19 … were 166% more likely than those who did not have COVID to be diagnosed later with diabetes.”
 
“…children who had COVID were also 116% more likely to develop diabetes than those who had non-COVID respiratory infections prior to the pandemic. Non-COVID respiratory infection was not associated with diabetes…."
 
So, there is a connection between COVID and diabetes.  Researchers are just not sure exactly what that connection may be.  Yet, the connection between COVID and diabetes is too strong for us to merely brush it off as coincidence. 
 
Cohen went on to interview Dr. Sheela Natesh Magge, director of the pediatric endocrinology division at Johns Hopkins.  Dr. Magge stated that,
 
“…the development of diabetes could be attributed to how COVID affects the body's organs, such as the "direct attack of the pancreatic cells….  There's some evidence that COVID-19 infection could affect insulin secretion….  The stress of any infection can increase blood sugars and can make you have a higher risk of any of the complications of diabetes because your blood sugars could get higher."
 
The doubting Thomas’s may be saying, “OK, my child had COVID, got over it, and now is fine.”  That attitude is exactly what the researchers are trying to warn people against.  Diabetes does not always immediately follow having COVID.  Diabetes can develop anywhere from 30 days after a COVID infection to even longer.  Check with your doctor and watch for the warning signs.  Early detection of diabetes is extremely important.

 
Is there any other research supporting these claims?

I found other research supporting this concern.

• Dr. Jennifer Sherr, an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Yale, said,

“I can say that anecdotally, here at Yale, we've seen increased risk of type two diabetes and more diagnosis of type two diabetes.”
 
Dr. Sherr again reminds us that “correlation doesn’t mean causation.”  No one is saying that just because your child had COVID that they will automatically get diabetes.  The research is saying to watch for the warning signs of diabetes.  Be on the alert.

• Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego, after studying data over the past five years, found that “…the incidence of new-onset T1D [type 1 diabetes] during the COVID-19 global pandemic in 2020 and 2021 appeared to have increased compared with previous years.” 

 

• Some research indicates that the increase is not just with Type 1 diabetes.  Researchers are also seeing an increase with Type 2 diabetes.

 
“…the estimated prevalence of diabetes among children and adolescents increased significantly for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.”
 

• Dr. Sharon Saydah, a researcher at the CDC, explained that so far research does not tell us whether “post-COVID Type 2 diabetes” would be a chronic (long term) condition or a “transient condition” that might eventually resolve with treatment.  She does remind everyone that Type 1 diabetes is not reversible.  It never goes away.  She went on to say that vaccinating all eligible children against COVID, masking, social distancing, and taking every precaution is the best way to protect the children. 

 

• What the CDC report did state is that for over 2.5 million children under the age of 18, those who had been diagnosed with COVID-19, they were:

 
“… about 2.5 times more likely to receive a new diabetes diagnosis a month or more after infection.”
 
These numbers are more than high enough for us to take the threat seriously We must not ignore this research.  I will keep you posted as new research emerges.
 
So, the conclusion is, yes, we have seen an increase in diabetes from children who had COVID.  Does COVID cause diabetes?  We do not know.  Research is continuing.  What we do know is that we should all be on the alert and watching for the warning signs of diabetes with children.

No, I do not believe that the administrative plans discussed in my previous blog posts will correct the learning losses caused by COVID or the losses that existed before COVID.  The schools need a new approach.  I believe that hands-on teaching techniques might be one answer.
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What Are Schools Saying about Pandemic Learning Losses, and What Is Being Done to Help? 
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Students anticipate success or failure based on their past experiences.  Students who have failed in the classroom often consider themselves failures.  Perceived inferiority reduces a child’s ability to learn.  If we return from COVID with the same methods that the child failed with (phonics, whole-language, or balanced literacy) before COVID, the child will, most likely, continue to fail.  We need a completely new way to teach reading. 
 
At my reading clinic, a simple craft project becomes a hands-on way of teaching decoding and encoding skills, an initiator for intrinsic motivation, and the means to provide step-by-step directions which help to increase comprehension.  The program uses creative art projects that are tied into the learning process and skills being taught. That helps children to set aside their fear and reluctance and try again.  The craft projects are not mere craft projects for the sake of completing a craft.  At the reading clinic, the hands-on project does not go home until the learning exercise is also completed.  The hands-on craft projects become a teaching tool. 
 
Yes, we have seen success with hands-on learning techniques:

• A student who failed for nine straight years in public school is now reading.
• A student diagnosed with ADHD and failing in reading moved up two grade levels in one year.
• A student diagnosed with dyslexia and whose parents tried everything, including expensive private one-on-one systematic phonics tutoring, learned to read, and moved up to beginning chapter books in one year.
• Six children who entered the program reading at the (pre-K) level ended the year reading at the 2nd grade reading level.  Only one child in the group was a first grader.
• One student started at the pre-K level and ended the year reading at the third-grade level, while a second grader started the year reading below first grade and ended at the fourth-grade level.  This improvement was just from September to May.
• One year, a student moved up four grade levels in reading, 4 students moved up three grade levels in reading, and 8 students moved up two grade levels in reading. 
• Another year, two students moved up four grade levels in reading, 3 students moved up 3 grade levels in reading, and 6 students moved up two grade levels in reading. 

 
So, yes, we can teach failing students to read.  If we use the correct teaching methods, we can correct all reading failure—before and after COVID.

Links to earlier posts in this series about recovering pandemic learning losses 

How Can We Overcome the Education Losses Children Have Experienced from the Pandemic? (Part 1) 

What Are Schools Saying about Pandemic Learning Losses, and What Is Being Done to Help? (Part 2)

Are The Schools Creating A Positive Learning Environment That Will Help Students Correct Learning Losses?  (Part 3) 

A Hands-on Project Helps Create a Positive Learning Environment to Help Students Correct Learning Losses (Part 4 of a Series)​

Let’s look at a simple project that children can make, and see how it helps the student learn the day’s lesson.

For several weeks now, I have been showing pictures of pop-up houses, some simple, some more complex.  Now, I want to show how to take that simple pop-up house and use it to teach.
  
Let's get started! Begin with a simple pattern that even 5-year-olds can trace and cut out. 

Instructions For Making A Simple Pop-Up House:
  
Remember to Read the Directions carefully—all of the directions.

1. First, select construction paper that you want to use for your pop-up house.  Fold the paper in half as if you are making a book.  Trace the pattern.  The pattern must be on the fold of the paper.  Trace and cut out your house.  Be sure to cut notch at corner/fold.  Lay pattern on your house and fold bottom flap as shown on pattern. 

 
Read this to the child. "Decorate your house using markers, crayons, or scraps of paper.  Do not decorate below fold line (see pattern) because that is where you will glue your house to the paper.  Slow down; take the time to make your house look very special.  Sometimes it can be frustrating to work on a project very slowly, trying to do your best work, but in the end, it is best when we put extra effort into every job we do.  Be creative and do your very best.  Use only a glue stick for glue."  

Decorating a house can be very simple or very elaborate. Here are two examples made from this pattern: 

Second, fold a second sheet of construction paper (green is best, to look like grass) in half as if you’re making a book. 
 
Third, place glue only on the folded flap of your house.  Use a glue stick--no liquid glue. 
 
Fourth, line up the center fold of your house with the center fold of your open sheet of green
construction paper.  Open house into a V shape and glue down the flaps onto the green construction paper.  Open and close green construction paper once to make sure that the house pops up.  Then, set aside to dry.
 
Teaching tips:

• Place glue only on the folded flap of your house.  Use a glue stick--no liquid glue. 
• Line up the center fold of your house with the center fold of your open sheet of green paper. 
• If you are teaching older students, have them use their ruler and protractor to make their own pattern.  Now, you have combined reading and math into one lesson.
• Even many special needs students can do this project.  Make your pattern out of carboard.  Hold the pattern in place and encourage the student to trace around the pattern. 
• If you are teaching on-line, this is a perfect project.  I used it with a 3rd grade student, but you can also use it with first graders.  You just give the instructions orally with young children.  I’ve also used this exact pattern with 5- and 6-year-olds in a class.  For example, say:  “Has everyone folded your paper?  Hold the paper up and show me the folded edge of the paper, where is the fold?  Excellent.  Lay your paper on your desk and place your pattern on that fold.”

 
This simple hands-on project becomes a teaching tool and is also a motivational tool to encourage students to want to learn.  The house is not simply an arts and craft project.  It is a teaching technique placed within a supportive group-centered prevention program that focuses on both teaching and counseling.  I want to undo the harms of reading failure.   I want to encourage children to try again and believe that they can learn to read.  
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Reading Failure is a Mental Health Problem
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What Have We Taught With This Hands-On Project?

One of the best ways to help children practice comprehension is by following step-by-step directions to make a project.  The children must read, understand what they read, and then apply such comprehension in order to complete the project. 
 
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For more about comprehension, read:  Reading Comprehension
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If you are teaching on-line, for older students, you could have your students research colonial homes, then write a paragraph or essay comparing and contrasting colonial homes with the house they live in today. 
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One web site that I like is:  Colonial Homes for Kids
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So, be creative with either in-class or on-line instruction, you can bring your lesson to life with a simple hands-on project.  The house is not just an arts and craft project, it becomes a teaching tool that motivates your students to want to do more.  Yes, we really can change how we teach and help every student overcome their learning losses, whatever they may be.


And look at what you've taught with this simple hands-on project:

1. Comprehension—Regardless of whether you had the students read and follow the written directions or if you read the directions to the student, you were teaching comprehension, following directions, listening skills, and completion.
2. If you had your students write a story, you were also teaching composition and story writing.  If you had your older students research a topic, you were also teaching research and writing nonfiction paragraphs.  You can turn the pop-up house into a book and have each student write their own story or essay.  There are hundreds of ways to use this hands-on project.
3. Even if you are teaching first graders, you can use this simple house to teach letter sounds.  I use a game called Build-by-Sound.  The child keeps the vowel sound the same.  For example, use the short a sound.  Then, build words:  at, bat, cat, rat…ran, fan, man, …cap, lap, sap.  Keep the vowel sound the same but change the consonants. 
4. For older children, you can add consonant blends:  trap, black, stack….  Depending on the age of your students, you can even have two or three syllable words with one common vowel sound.  Never mix vowel sounds.  The idea is to train the brain to hear the common vowel sound in each word:  apple, happy, cattle, acrobat, astronaut. 
   Then, of course, have your student write the words correctly on manuscript writing paper and glue them to their house to practice later.  Again, use only glue sticks on pop-up houses.
   
   

​If you teach a child to read, you can change the world.

How can I create a hands-on learning environment in the classroom?
 
A teacher recently asked me, “How am I supposed to set up a hands-on learning environment in a classroom with 26 students who read at different levels and have widely differing skill sets?  I've read where you talk about creating a hands-on learning environment at your reading clinic.  That's great, but I can't set up an entire reading clinic in my classroom.  I have other subjects to teach besides just reading.”
 
Yes, it is true, with my Camp Sharigan week-long program, I create an imaginary summer camp that fills the entire room—wall hangings, mountains, fishing ponds, a paper poison ivy vine, and even a snake pit with fuzzy snakes.  

​Yet, my Reading Orienteering Club after-school program uses portable learning workstations because I must be able to set up and take down the after-school program each day—others use the room.  Research shows that both programs are successful.  So, yes, you can create a hands-on learning environment even in a classroom with desks or tables and chairs.
 
And yes, at my reading clinic, students have moved up as much as four grade levels in reading in one year—our program is actually only eight months long, September to May.  I use hands-on learning and creative-art therapy with group-centered prevention to help students replace failure with success.

As the pandemic rages on, parents understandably worry about what effect it is having on their children’s education and mental state. Not only are those important issues, but we also need to understand how school administrators think about the pandemic. What people care about the most, however, is what can we do to help solve the problems?

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Read Part 1: How Can We Overcome Pandemic Learning Problems?
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Are the Schools Approaching the Problem Correctly?
There are almost as many answers to that question as there are people.  Everyone has an opinion.  Let’s be careful not to let “mere opinions” mislead us.  Yes, there is as much misinformation plaguing education as there are “alternative facts” floating between the political candidates.
 
This is the second part of my look at educational loss during the pandemic. In Part 1, we looked at what parents, teachers, and students are saying about educational losses from COVID.  Now, let’s ask, what are the schools saying?  What are the administrators saying?  What do they plan to do?  What should they be doing?
 
We need to remember that the classroom teacher does not always control what is actually taught in the classroom.  In many schools, teachers are told what they can and cannot teach.  They are also told how to teach.  Textbooks and teaching methods are even decided for the teacher.  Such a policy has both benefits and dangers.  Therefore, it is necessary to look at what administrators, school boards, and state education agencies are saying about educational loss during the pandemic.
 
 
What Are School Administrators Saying about Pandemic Learning Loss?
 
Just to list a few points:

• Some are saying that learning losses from the pandemic are irreversible.  Wrong.

 

• One report said that students were two or more grade levels behind because of the pandemic.  I have been working with students for years who were three, four, even nine grade levels behind in reading—all before the pandemic.  Learning loss in education is not new.

 

• One study, conducted by a testing company (be careful when reading test scores from commercial companies who, at the end of their report, offer to sell you testing services) found from their research that in reading an “… increase from 27% well below benchmark in 2019 to 40% in 2020 is nearly a 50% increase in the number of students entering that grade at risk.”  Their findings were mostly with kindergarten and first graders. 

I do not doubt that kindergarten and first graders have suffered in reading development during the pandemic.  As for the 50% increase, I have little confidence in their data.  If you read the study carefully, you’ll notice that their study population is biased.  Yet, the problem remains.  We need to help all children learn to read.

• One educator stated that he thought today’s learning losses would still be around in 2060.  They shouldn’t be.  There is no reason that we cannot reverse any and all learning loss from the pandemic.

 

• Still others say that students who attended online classes lost “comprehension, focus, and engagement.”  It all depends on how the school used online classes.  Just being online shouldn’t necessarily reduce comprehension, focus, or engagement.  I actually worked with a student who improved over the pandemic through online classes over what the student had been doing with in-class instruction before the pandemic.

 

• Many are saying that stress, anxiety, and depression have increased, and such has affected student learning.  This I agree with.  The pandemic has increased stress and anxiety for all of us.  Research shows that depression has also increased.  Yet, this doesn’t necessarily lead to learning loss. 

What Does a Student Stay? 
 
As one high school student said,

“I definitely struggled during the spring of 2020—which I’m sure goes for a lot of other kids. I think I was so overwhelmed by the surrealism of the entire situation that it didn’t even feel like my schoolwork was important; everything felt like a dream. Since then, I have definitely become better adjusted to online schooling—and I do think that if the pandemic had not happened I would be short of a lot of significant knowledge I gained this year. I have certainly become more active and interested in current events, but I have also grown as a person, and although living through COVID has been really hard at times, I am so incredibly lucky to say that I probably gained more than I lost during these times.”
 
So, yes, some students have suffered psychologically during the pandemic, but still others say that they experienced personal growth and development during the pandemic as they learned to cope with difficult situations.  Again, we find ourselves talking about psychological harm.  Let’s refresh our definition of psychological harm.

 
Psychological Effects of the Pandemic

When we say that something causes psychological harm, this means that it impairs a person’s mental development and well-being. For example, rude, hateful words can cause psychological harm. Bullying can cause psychological harm. Teasing can cause psychological harm. Mass school shootings can cause psychological harm.  Reading failure can cause psychological harm.  That's why I became involved as a psychologist in developing programs to help children overcome reading failure.  My goal is to stop the psychological harm caused by reading failure. 
 
No, masks, vaccines, or testing do not cause psychological harm.  It is fear and not being able to control the source of the fear that causes psychological harm.
 
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For more on psychological harms, read:  Do Mask Mandates Cause Psychological or Medical Problems for Children in School?

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Every single child and every single adult has been impacted by the pandemic, and yes, we definitely need to treat the psychological effects of the pandemic.  As a psychologist, I am very concerned about the psychological harms caused by the pandemic, especially the increased suicide rate.  The Pew Charitable Trust explains that:

“According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, emergency department visits for suspected suicide attempts among adolescents jumped 31% in 2020, compared with 2019. In February and March of this year, emergency department visits for suspected suicide attempts were 51% higher among girls aged 12–17 than during the same period in 2019.”

And the Pew article continues:
​
“… more than 140,000 children in the United States lost a primary and/or secondary caregiver, with youth of color disproportionately impacted.”
 
We need to look more deeply to see what is causing this increase in suicidal behavior.  We’ll explore this in a later discussion.
 
Stress and anxiety do not always cause learning loss.  After all, we also know that bullying and the fear of gun violence in schools increases stress, anxiety, and yes, increases depression.  Should we then say that the threat of gun violence also causes learning loss? 
 
 
Can we get an accurate measure on learning loss experienced by students?
  
Let's look at a study that gives a fairly objective overview of the problems students have experienced during the pandemic.  An article entitled, The Effect of COVID-19 on Education by Jacob Hoofman and Dr. Elizabeth Secord, Department of Pediatrics, from Wayne State University School of Medicine summarize both the educational and mental health issues facing the schools.
 
 “Learners and educators at all levels of education have been affected by COVID-19.  ...racial minorities, those who live in poverty, those requiring special education, and children who speak English as a second language are more negatively affected by the need for remote learning.  Anxiety and depression have increased….”
 
That statement gives us a good summary of the problems that we are looking at in education.  Hoofman and Secord go one step further as they cite a study from Stanford.
 
“Northwest Evaluation Association is a global nonprofit organization that provides research-based assessments and professional development for educators. A team of researchers at Stanford University evaluated Northwest Evaluation Association test scores for students in 17 states and the District of Columbia in the Fall of 2020 and estimated that the average student had lost one-third of a year to a full year's worth of learning in reading, and about three-quarters of a year to more than 1 year in math since schools closed in March 2020.”
 
Once again, I advise caution for the results.  The Northwest Evaluation only looked at assessments from 17 states—not even half of the country.  Also, Stanford was looking at averages and speculating.  Until the Nation’s Report Card gives us an actual test score comparison, the amount of leaning loss experienced by students is basically speculation.  One research firm or university may be better than the other, but we are still speculating.
 
So, yes, there has been learning loss—more with some students, less with others.  The truth is that we entered into the pandemic with a learning loss in reading.  According to the Nation’s Report Card, over 60% of students across the nation could not read at grade level in 4th, 8th, and 12th grade in 2019 before COVID began.  This 60% score is based on actual test data, not speculation.

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For more on the Nation’s Report Card score, read:  Reading Wars are Over!  Phonics Failed.  Whole Language Failed.  Balanced Literacy Failed. Who Won?  It Certainly Wasn’t the Students.
 
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Testing is important, but it must be accurate and unbiased.  In my own reading clinic, we have moved students up in reading who were two years behind grade level, four years behind, and even nine years behind their grade level.  Regardless of their age or how many years they have failed in reading, students can be brought up to their age-appropriate level in reading.  All we need to do is change how we teach reading in the schools and start teaching reading correctly.  
 
For more on the actual data from my reading clinic, read Chapter 10 in After-School Programming and Intrinsic Motivation.
 
Let’s look at some solutions.  I primarily look at the solutions being proposed in reading because these are the students I work with.  That is also my area of expertise.  This is not to say that we do not have learning loss in math, science, social studies, and other curriculum areas.  Since my research is in preventing reading failure, I will limit my suggestions to teaching reading.
 
 
What Are the Schools Planning to Do to Correct Learning Loss?

• Some states are planning what they call “high-dosage tutoring” over the summer.  Some are even planning to hire college students to tutor children who are struggling.  I think that this could be a good idea, but it depends on how the tutors are planning to teach the children.  Again, it comes down to teaching materials.  If you are using teaching methods that have been proven to fail, no amount of tutoring will help.  

 
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Read:  What Makes A Reading Program Successful?

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• Some states plan to extend the school year.  Merely extending the school year will not necessarily help struggling students.  Again, it depends on the teaching methods and curriculum that you are using.  Failed teaching methods will not suddenly improve when you simply extend the school year.  You must change the way you teach.

 

• Some people are suggesting “grade-level exposure.”  This is basically teaching at grade level and expecting students to magically move up.  Sorry, it doesn’t happen.  The students are not failing because they want to.  They are failing because they have not been taught how to read.  This proposal is a disaster for struggling students-- the students who have been hurt the most by the pandemic will suffer the most under “grade-level exposure.”

 

• Yes, as always, there are those who are screaming retention is the only way to overcome educational losses.  Repeat the last year.  Wrong.  Making a student repeat a grade never works.  One researcher found that students retained between kindergarten and 5th grade are 60% less likely to graduate from high school.  Never retain students (make students repeat a grade) nor simply pass them on to the next grade.  Teach them instead.

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For this research and others showing that retention does not work, read:  Reason #6 That Reading Scores Were Lower in 2019:  Grade Retention and Social Promotion

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We Cannot Ignore Learning Loss.  So, What Is the Best Way to Correct the Problem?
 
In reading, our best solution for correcting learning loss is to change how we teach reading in the classroom.  We need to move away from whole language and phonics.  They have both been proven to not work for many students, especially the students who need help the most.  So, the solution we seek is the same solution we needed before the pandemic.  If we want to correct learning loss in reading, we need to change how we teach reading in the classroom.

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Read:  When Phonics Fails
 
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​
Yes, we have learning loss and we have psychological issues, the question still remains what should be done about these problems.  These are not new problems in education.  We had learning loss in reading and psychological issues before COVID.  We need to be careful that we do not blame every single problem in education on the pandemic.  We have many problems in education, and we have had for years—long before the pandemic. 
 
The question that remains is:   What should we do about these problems?
 
In an upcoming post, we will look at one suggestion on what can be done to change the way we teach reading. 

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​

For more information, see After-School Programming and Intrinsic Motivation:  Teaching At-Risk Students to Read

The 8 years of research published in this book show that we can, in fact, teach children to read who have failed in classrooms that use phonics, whole-language, or balanced literacy.  So, yes, we can undo the learning losses from COVID.

Available in hardcover, paperback, and Kindle. You can also get an e-book version directly from the publisher.