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.  
________________

Reading Failure is a Mental Health Problem
________________
 

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. 
 
________________

For more about comprehension, read:  Reading Comprehension
________________

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. 
________________
 
One web site that I like is:  Colonial Homes for Kids
________________  

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?

-----------------
Read Part 1: How Can We Overcome Pandemic Learning Problems?
------------------
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.
 
------------------

For more on psychological harms, read:  Do Mask Mandates Cause Psychological or Medical Problems for Children in School?

------------------

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.

------------------
 
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.
 
------------------

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.  

 
------------------

Read:  What Makes A Reading Program Successful?

------------------

• 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.

------------------
 
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

------------------
 
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.

------------------
 
Read:  When Phonics Fails
 
------------------
​
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. 

------------------
​

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. 

First, Do You Think Students Have Suffered Educational Losses During the Pandemic?

A recent poll stated that 67% of parents feel that their children are behind academically in school because of the pandemic.  The survey goes on to say that the parents feel that these academic losses are worse than any of the social skills concerns they may have based on school closures and online instruction. 
  
Parents are not the only ones who think students have suffered educational losses.
 
Public school teachers (K-12) also feel that students have fallen behind academically during the pandemic.  A survey from March 2021, shows that teachers feel that approximately 53% of students are showing a significant learning loss.
 
What do the students say?  A very interesting article gives comments from high school students.  I’ll only quote three, but I encourage you to take a few minutes and read this article.  The students offer insights into the educational problems facing our schools.  I have omitted student names.

• Student #1 does not feel that there has been learning loss.

 
Student #1:  “During the pandemic, I don’t feel as if I had experienced the threat of learning loss. In fact, I feel as if I have learned more during quarantine. This is because, during my free time, I have found ways to learn at my own pace and ways to practice what I have studied before.” 

• Student #2 points out issues in online education. Maybe the problem comes from how we use online education.

 
Student #2:  “I think when it comes to academics, most students have fallen behind in their learning. Online school did not allow students to learn to their fullest ability; distractions at home affected people’s ability to focus, and isolation from other students affected people’s motivation. Learning over a screen made it hard to communicate with teachers, ask questions, and fully grasp new concepts. Additionally, with fewer classes each day and less overall learning time, teachers were forced to accommodate conventional learning plans, therefore not getting through as much material as previous years. Elementary students, who are just learning essential skills such as reading and writing, have especially suffered from virtual learning; without an engaging environment, it is impossible to maintain attention.”

• Student #3 feels that the assignments were comparable to in-class learning.

 
Student #3:  “Luckily, I do not feel a learning loss academically during the pandemic. Especially, for the school year which started last fall, my courses are very rigorous and I do not feel the homework assignment lessened than a normal school year. I’m online studying for all my sophomore year, but to be honest, the classes are still challenging and I’m learning a lot. My school is doing hybrid learning: one week on campus and one week virtual. The course load is pretty heavy with tests and quizzes almost every week for different subjects. My teachers are always there to set up a zoom with me for office hours and talk with me despite my different time zone. All my classmates open their cameras during the virtual week, and there’s hot history debate and seminar taking place online, discussion, and sharing writing pieces during English class. Many of us may take this for granted.”
  
We’ve heard from parents, teachers, and students.  Is there any research being done on learning loss during the pandemic?  Yes, I found one study that concurs with the parent/teacher comments, but it also adds one very important item that must be included: “Learning loss was most pronounced among students from disadvantaged homes.”
 
This is similar to what Student #3 described.  I included this student statement because it explains that online teaching may not necessarily be the problem.  The problem may be how we used online teaching opportunities, or the teaching methods used.

 
Does the Way We Teach Online Make a Difference in the Quality of Education? 

Yes, it does make a difference, and the same is true for the classroom.  The teaching methods used in the classroom make a difference as to what is learned in the classroom.
 
Truly, student learning, whether online or in the classroom, relies on the teaching methods being used for success.  Teaching methods are not always controlled by classroom teachers (usually they are not).  Most school boards, state education departments, and even politicians determine the teaching methods being used in the classroom.

 
When Schools Select a Reading Textbook, They Also Select a Teaching Method.
 
Unfortunately, if the reading textbook selected uses methods that have been proven not to work for all students, some students will not be successful learning the material being taught.

-------------

For more about curriculum, read:  Reason #9 that Reading Scores Were Worse in 2019:  Curriculum Choices Determine a Student’s Success or Failure in School
​-------------

Also, the children who need help the most are getting the least amount of help with online teaching.  They do not always have access to online resources, but is this a new problem?


Are You Sure That This Is a New Problem Caused by the Pandemic?
 
If we look at the surveys that we discussed at the beginning of this blog post, we see that that teachers believe 53% of students are showing a learning loss, while the survey of parents showed that they believe that 67% of students are showing a learning loss.  Yes, these are just perceptions—what the parents and teachers think.  This is not test data, so we do not know for sure how bad the learning loss actually is.
 
Yet in 2019, before COVID, according to the Nations Report Card, 60% of students were already unable to read at their grade level in 4th, 8th, and even in 12th grade.  We had a learning loss going into the pandemic.  So, are we seeing a new learning loss or are we looking at the same learning loss that was measured in 2019 before COVID?
 
There's no way to tell for sure until we get new test data from the Nations Report Card.  Of course, no one is testing during the pandemic. 

​------------- 
For a complete report on reading scores:  Reading Wars are Over!  Phonics Failed.  Whole Language Failed.  Balanced Literacy Failed. Who Won?  It Certainly Wasn’t the Students.
​-------------
Should students just sit and wait, or can we start teaching students in a new way that could help them learn right now?  As I have stated many times before, I think that we need to change how we teach reading in the classroom and online.  I do not think that we should wait.  I think that we should change now. 
 
So, the question remains, do you think that students have suffered educational losses during the pandemic?  Some have, some have not.  It all depends on the way that the students were taught during the pandemic.  Either way, we do have proven methods for teaching children to read.  We have actually had children move up 4 grade levels at my reading clinic in one year.  The pandemic doesn't need to be an educational disaster.  We just need to change how we teach children to read.
 
Yes, We Really Can Teach Children to Read, We Are Just Not Doing It.

We have the teaching methods to enable every student to be successful.  We just refuse to change from phonics and whole language and use a method that works.
 
Yes, I believe that there have been educational losses during the pandemic.  I also know that there were educational losses, especially in reading, before the pandemic.  We can overcome these losses if we just change how we teach reading.
 
​-------------
See:  Vowel Clustering Works Better than Phonics with At-Risk Students
​------------- 
This is the first of a three-part series on:  How Can We Overcome the Education Losses Students Have Experienced from the Pandemic?  Stay tuned. Next, we’ll talk about some of the methods being explored for overcoming educational loss during the pandemic.

​After-School Programming and Intrinsic Motivation explains how the Reading Orienteering Club works and presents data about its effectiveness. 

You can also download individual chapters from the publisher's website. 

While I was reading an early education newsletter this week, a teacher’s comment made me really stop and think: 
 
“Children do not just play to pass time; it is a way of expressing ideas and feelings in the context of what is currently happening in their life and in society. 
 
“Just the other day I overheard a small group of children in the home corner talking about how their baby had the virus and was going to die if they did not get an injection. I watched on as concerns for the doll’s health quickly changed to happiness, as they pretended to inject the doll. The calm nature of this quite serious situation captivated me, the children had taken on the responsibility of saving a life, but it seemed they were unaware of the magic in their work.”

 
Children know that the coronavirus is dangerous but, too often, the adults are more afraid of masks or the vaccine than of the virus. Misinformation, which is often motivated by greed, overrides people’s judgment. Shouldn’t we care about one another?

 
If preschool children can understand the importance of the COVID vaccine, why can't adults?
 
As epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove said, “People are still being hospitalized with this variant [omicron], as well as dying.”

• COVID is still a major problem for children. 

 
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics  
“COVID-19 cases among children have spiked dramatically in 2022 during the Omicron variant surge, over 3.5 million child cases were reported in January.”

• It's not over.

​

As Health Day News reports, coronavirus infections are spreading among our children: 

“More than 1.1 million American children were diagnosed with COVID-19 during the week ending Jan. 20…. That is 17 percent higher than the 981,000 cases diagnosed the week before and double the number from two weeks before that.”

• Diabetes has also been added to the list of long-term problems for children that can be caused by COVID.

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).”
 
Yet, they also note that vaccination rates are still too low. Only about “…63.8% of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated… This includes about 55% of 12- to 17-year-olds and 19.9% of children ages 5-11….”

 
Why are so many parents refusing to get their children vaccinated?

Dr. Jessica Ericson, a pediatric infectious disease physician at Penn State Health Children's Hospital, explained that being vaccinated “… makes a big difference in kids, just as it does in adults.” She went on to say, "We are not seeing many vaccinated children needing hospitalization, even among those high-risk children…."

 
Why are parents afraid of the COVID vaccine but not the COVID infection?
 
In November, I asked why parents were afraid of the COVID-19 vaccine, and in 2022, I’m still asking why parents are afraid to have their children vaccinated.  The vaccines have proven to be safe and effective.  Millions of children are getting sick every day with COVID, and schools are still having to close in many areas because of COVID.  Why would parents risk their children getting sick and possibly dying?   Is misinformation responsible?   

________________________

For more on fear of vaccines:  Misinformation Kills:  Has Your Child Been Vaccinated?  Or, Are You Waiting?
________________________

What is the driving force behind misinformation?

​As someone said many years ago,
 
"Only two things are infinite — the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."
 
The quote is often listed as coming from Einstein, but as Quote Investigator shows—that may not be the case.  Nonetheless, I think that it may be a very appropriate quotation for what is happening in the world today. 
 
How do you explain so many people believing some of the outrageous things that are being said on social media?  Even on some supposed news media stations?  At rallies?  Again, I believe the answer is misinformation.  I also believe that one of the primary driving forces behind this misinformation is greed.
 
Frederick S. Perls, a psychiatrist of the 1940’s and founder of Gestalt therapy, once stated that an
“… impatient, greedy attitude is responsible more than anything else for the excessive stupidity we find in the world.”
  
Although I do not agree with gestalt therapy, I do think Perls’ statement on greed and stupidity has provided insight into human nature.  Greed may be one of the reasons that so many people are pushing “alternative facts,” misinformation, and just plain lies.
 
Look behind the scenes:

• Everyone by now has heard about the Spotify uproar between Neil Young and Joe Rogan over, fake information about vaccines. Young goes on to mention the 200 plus doctors who joined together to write a letter explaining the “… dangerous life-threatening COVID falsehoods found in SPOTIFY programming.”  He said, "I am happy and proud to stand in solidarity with the front line health care workers who risk their lives every day to help others."

 
You might be asking, why are SPOTIFY and other companies supporting misinformation, especially since misinformation about COVID has been shown to be so dangerous?

 
Money.  Or as Perls said, greed.
 
I applaud all who are standing up to Spotify and the selling of misinformation.  I think that Neil Young has started a protest that may actually do some good.  Money talks.
 
 SPOTIFY is not the only source of misinformation: there are dozens of these social media sites. They make a lot of money selling falsehoods. 

• Joseph Mercola, a leading anti-vaccine advocate who has been thrown off of YouTube and Facebook, has started his own political newsletter.  He is among the top 20 listed on Substack and his subscribers pay $50 a year. The Washington Post has estimated that he makes about $2.5 million in revenues from his newsletter. He keeps 90 percent and Substack takes 10 percent. So, you can quickly see why Substack wants to keep Mercola happy.  They do not care what he writes or says.  It can be true or false.  Mercola and Spotify are making money.  The concept of a subscription service is bringing in so much money that Twitter and Facebook are planning paid subscription-based newsletters as well.  Greed abounds; forget truth.  Truth doesn’t make much money.

 
Another source of misinformation is the “Disinformation Dozen.” As Mary Pappefuss explains: 


“The “Disinformation Dozen” produce 65% of the shares of anti-vaccine misinformation on social media platforms, concluded the nonprofit Center for Countering Digital Hate. … [The Disinformation Dozen are] individuals who do not have relevant medical expertise and have their own pockets to line, who are abusing social media platforms to misrepresent the threat of COVID and spread misinformation about the safety of vaccines.”
 
“Anti-vaccine activists on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter reach more than 59 million followers, making these the largest and most important social media platforms for anti-vaxxers…”

________________________
 
For more on the dangers of misinformation, read:  How Dangerous Is Misinformation?
________________________
 
Again, what do we see as the driving force—greed, money.  These people are making bundles and bundles of money selling lies.  I’ve listed only three.  How can we stop this?
 
We need to love and care about each other.
 
I do not know how to stop misinformation, but, as a psychologist, I do know that we need to love and care for each other.  We need more kindness and less name calling.  We need compassion and concern for someone other than just self.  We need less anger and hatred.  We need to reach out and help others.  We need to show others that we care each and every day.  Caring for others is healthy and creates wellbeing.  Hate and anger do not.
 
I do think that the protest that Neil Young and other musicians started with SPOTIFY is helping.  If you take money away from the social media companies, then perhaps they will begin to care about the welfare of innocent people, especially the children.  As adults, we should do all that we can do to protect the children.  Taking masks away from children in schools and refusing to vaccinate children is not protecting children.  It is doing the opposite.  I believe that social media, misinformation, and political parties are driving the hate and the anti-vaccine movement.

 
We need to search for the truth.  We need for everyone to be vaccinated.
 
Yes, the COVID vaccine is safe (even for children), and it saves lives. Researchers from Yale University and the Commonwealth Fund found that the vaccine saved approximately “… 279,000 additional deaths due to Covid-19 -- about 46% more than there were -- and as many as 1.25 million additional hospitalizations if there were no vaccinations.” 
 
Vaccines save lives.  If you are not vaccinated, get vaccinated.  Vaccinate the children too and don’t forget to get your booster shot.  As the slogan goes:  “the life you save may be your own.”

 
A new variant is coming our way.

Right now, Omicron BA.1 is responsible for 98% of the COVID infections worldwide, but Omicron BA.2 is beginning to spread.  Omicron BA.2 is more transmissible than BA.1—that means that you can catch it more easily, and it passes from one person to another more easily.  Research has shown that unvaccinated people are more likely to catch BA.2 and to pass it on to others, as a Danish study shows:
 
[BA.2] “…spreads more easily among unvaccinated people….  Unvaccinated: about 10% more likely to catch the coronavirus from someone with BA.2 than the fully vaccinated household members, and about 20% more likely to pass it on…."
 
As with Omicron BA.1, fully vaccinated people (with booster) are less likely to catch BA.2 or pass it on to someone else.
 
So, yes everyone needs to get vaccinated.  It’s not about “freedom,” “personal choice,” or “control.” Every single person who isn’t vaccinated is potentially exposing every other person in their community, neighborhood, family, or school because unvaccinated people are allowing COVID to continue to grow, spread, and change into new variants.  When people refuse to get vaccinated, they are actually supporting COVID-19 because they allow the pandemic to continue.  Yes, when you are unvaccinated, you are encouraging COVID to spread.  Don’t take my word for it.  Read this report. 

 
Why can’t we care about each other? 
 
If you are unvaccinated, should you feel responsible when you make someone else sick? 
 
Do you remember the teacher who took off her mask in September to read a story and made children sick? 
 
An unvaccinated teacher from Marin County, California decided to go ahead and go to school and teach one day even though she had a cough, slight fever, and a headache. During reading time, she decided to take her mask off to read to her students.  Although the students were wearing masks, 80% of the students sitting in the first two rows, those closest to the teacher while she was reading, later tested positive for COVID-19.  Four siblings of these infected students also came down with COVID.  Four parents of children who tested positive from this one classroom episode, also came down with COVID, and only one parent was unvaccinated.  Six students tested positive for COVID after a sleepover that was hosted by one of the students from the original class.  None of the students were eligible for vaccine because they were younger than 12 years old.  Of the 26 elementary students who caught COVID from this one unvaccinated teacher removing her mask to read a story, 18 of the students were tested and found to have the Delta variant.

________________________

For more on this story, read:  Coronavirus is Raging Through the Schools.  We Must Have Mask and Vaccine Mandates to Protect the Children.9-8-21
________________________ 

​Why can’t we care what happens to someone else?  Should we only think about ourselves—not our neighbor?  Many of the unvaccinated claim to be Christians.  Whatever happened to “love your neighbor as you love yourself?”  The opposite of love is not hate. It has been pointed out that the opposite of love is selfishness: 
 
“So what is the opposite of love, if it’s not hate?  The truth is, the opposite of love is selfishness which is seen far more often than hatred.  Love results in giving, so its opposite is selfishness – the absence of giving.
 
“Hate is created by something that affects the things we love.”
 
We need to find a way to heal our nation.  Instead of selling hate, we need to encourage compassion, concern for others, helping your neighbor, caring for children—all children, not just your own.  We need peace and love.

You probably have seen it by now.  It has been all over the Internet, and this is one time I think the Internet really should publicize something this awful.  I'm talking about the man from Southern California, wearing a t-shirt that said, “Your mask makes you look stupid,” who yelled at and harassed middle school students because they were wearing a mask. 
 
Some reports say that he has been harassing elementary and middle school students for months.  Another report said that he had been deliberately coughing and spitting on students, even sticking his head in car windows.  A parent claimed that when a police officer did arrive on the scene, the officer delivered a lecture to the students on First Amendment rights. 
​
  
Anger and Bullying are Wrong.
 
All of the facts haven't been sorted out yet, but no matter how you look at the situation, this is wrong.
 
Absolutely no adult should ever act this way at any time for any reason.  There is no excuse for this kind of behavior.  As one parent said,
 
“Clearly there is a problem here, not just a mental health problem but an anger management issue where he feels compelled to attack people who are more vulnerable than him….”
 
The students should be praised for wearing a mask, not criticized and not lectured about First Amendment rights.
 
Is the Man Insane?

No, that behavior does not show that the man is insane.  Remember, I talked before about the difference between bad behavior and insanity.  Let’s look again at the definition provided by clinical psychologist Dr. Ryan Howes, Ph. D.  Insanity is a
 
“…mental illness of such a severe nature that a person cannot distinguish fantasy from reality, cannot conduct her/his affairs due to psychosis [having lost contact with reality] or is subject to uncontrollable impulsive behavior.”

----------------------- 
For more on mental illness, read:  Why Can’t We Stop the Pandemic?
----------------------- 

Do You Control Your Anger?
 
Anger alone is not a mental illness, but it can indicate deeper problems.  We all get angry.  Anger is a natural response to frustration.  The question is how do you control your anger?  Or, do you not control your anger?  Are you yelling at others in your family?  In your community?  Uncontrolled anger is a problem.
 
Uncontrolled anger can, however, lead to intermittent explosive disorder (IED), which is considered a mental illness.
 
“A person with intermittent explosive disorder (IED) has repeated episodes of aggressive, impulsive, or violent behavior. They may overreact to situations with angry outbursts that are out of proportion to the situation.”
 
On the video, the man was shown getting in his car and driving away before the police arrived.  He was not totally out of control.  He displayed enough control not to become physically violent.  Yet, he was definitely verbally abusive.  I think he also knew that what he was doing was wrong, that's why he left the scene.
 
Should someone like this be held accountable for his actions?  Definitely.  He needs an anger management program immediately.  Should he apologize to the young people and their parents?  Yes.
 

This is a case of Out-of-Control Anger, not First Amendment Rights.
 
We keep hearing claims of First Amendment rights.  Anger is not a First Amendment right.  I’m not a lawyer, and I don’t know whether what the man did was legal, but it was certainly very wrong. Let’s go read the First Amendment again.

“Amendment I“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
 
Cornell Law School gives this interpretation, just in case we are having trouble understanding the amendment.
 
“The First Amendment guarantees freedoms concerning religion, expression, assembly, and the right to petition.  It forbids Congress from both promoting one religion over others and also restricting an individual’s religious practices.  It guarantees freedom of expression by prohibiting Congress from restricting the press or the rights of individuals to speak freely.  It also guarantees the right of citizens to assemble peaceably and to petition their government.”  
 

Do you see the word “peaceably” assemble?
 
The First Amendment does not give you the right to harm someone else.  The First Amendment does not give you the moral right to harass children and youth.  Adults need to stop harassing children and youth while claiming they are only exercising their constitutional First Amendment rights.  Wrong.
 
In September, the people were also wrong who heckled and laughed at a young man who spoke at his school board meeting.  Yes, the young man had a First Amendment right to speak, but the adult audience members did not have a First Amendment right to make fun of him.
 
----------------------- 
See:  Do No Harm: Adults Should Not Bully a Child
----------------------- 

Frustration Does Not Give You the Right to Say or Do Whatever You Wish.

We're all frustrated over the pandemic, but that does not justify rude obnoxious behavior. 
 
No, face masks will not rot your teeth out, cause you to have trouble breathing, or make you look stupid.  Actually, wearing a face mask shows that you are intelligent and fully aware of the dangers from COVID-19. 
 
Face masks are safe, and they do protect children, youth, and adults from COVID.  Vaccines are important too.  Face masks cannot do it alone.  Make sure you’re vaccinated and have your booster.
 
Face masks are also not psychologically harmful, even if you wear them all day.  Face masks help children and teens feel safer, and yes, they should be wearing a face mask in school all day and even after school on the way home.  The youth were being smart and exercising caution.

----------------------- 
Read:  Does Wearing a Face Mask Affect Your Ability to Breathe?
-----------------------  
I met a little 4-year-old boy one day at the grocery store while waiting in line.  He and his dad were both wearing masks.  I always wear a mask.  As we stood in line socially distancing, I couldn't help but notice that the little boy was crying.  Keeping my mask in place, I said, “Are you having a hard day?”  His father answered, “A lady made fun of him for wearing a mask.”  The psychologist in me came roaring to the surface as I replied, “Well that lady was wrong.  The smartest and best thing you can do is wear a mask wherever you go.  I wear my mask, even when I'm just walking around outside.  I'm very proud of you for wearing a mask.”  As I spoke, the little boy began to sniffle and stop crying.  I noticed that he also stood taller, especially when I said I was proud of him.  I went on to say, “I hope you continue wearing your mask.  I know I plan to.  Don't let anyone discourage you from wearing a mask.  Be one of the smart ones.  Wear a mask, everywhere you go.  Throwback your shoulders and let everyone see how proud you are to wear a mask and stay healthy.”  The little boy seemed to grow at least two inches and stood tall and straight beside his dad.
 
I don’t know if I helped that day, but I tried.  When you see someone wearing a mask, tell them “Thank you for wearing a mask.”

Children Are Worried--About the Virus

​A high school sophomore recently posted on Reddit and described his time spent in school.  I’ve listed only a few of his comments, but please read his entire statement. It's important. 
 
“I arrived at school and promptly went to Study Hall.  … there were 14 absent teachers 1st period…. Second period I had another absent teacher…. Third period I had a normal class …. First thing the teacher did was pass out COVID tests … 4 more teachers would pass out COVID tests throughout the day, which were to be taken at home …  90% of the bathrooms were full of students swabbing their noses and taking their tests. I had one kid ask me -- with his mask down, by the way -- whether a "faint line was positive," proceeding to show me his positive COVID test….  Classes that I did attend were quiet and empty.  … some of my classes had 10+ students absent.  ... we literally learn nothing. I spent about 3 hours sitting around today doing nothing….  I tested positive for COVID on December the 14th. At the time there were a total of 6 cases. By the end of break this number was up to 36. By January the 3rd … the numbers were up to 100 ….   Today there are 226.  …90% of the conversations spoken by students concern COVID. It has completely taken over any function of daily school life.”
 
This student is not the only person questioning whether we should be forcing in-class education in the middle of the omicron surge. Many schools needed to close: 

• “At least 3,229 schools were closed in the first week of January, the highest for the year….”
• Los Angeles announced as of 4 P.M. Monday, January 10th that “… 65,630 students and staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 in the week before school.”

• The Rhode Island National Education Association is calling for remote learning.
• “… at Brooklyn Technical High School, the city’s largest, an estimated 600 kids poured out into18-degree temperatures [on Tuesday January 11th] to call attention to what they described as an unsafe and chaotic environment at their school with the ongoing viral surge driven by the highly contagious omicron variant.

 
The students are realizing that it is not safe to be in school right now.  When will the parents and administrators wake up and realize that school is not a safe place to be at present?
 
The count keeps climbing.  There are dozens of schools closed in my own local area.  Everywhere you look, schools are closing because it is just not safe to continue in-class instruction, especially since omicron has hit the staff as hard as the students.
 
An average of 672 children are hospitalized every day because of the omicron variant. 
  
Some people claim that omicron is not as serious as delta and not as harmful for children.  That is misleading. Remember, children are never placed in the hospital unless it is serious, and we also need to remember the danger of long-covid. Yes, omicron can cause long-covid.  As Dr. Anthony Fauci reminds us,  
 
"We should always be aware that when people get symptomatic infection … anywhere from 10 to up to 30 plus percent of people will go on to have persistence of symptoms [long-covid]….,"
  
We’ve examined the problem.  The claim that omicron is less dangerous for children is false.  It is also dangerous for students at school.  Now, let’s look at the solutions:  in-class or online.
 
This, in turn, raises the question:

 
Is there really a psychological harm in keeping students home for a few weeks? 
 
Some say that it is psychologically harmful to keep students home, but is it?  No, there is no harm.  Sorry, that’s just misinformation. 
 
As a psychologist, I want to talk about the misinformation floating around about how psychologically harmful it is for students to learn from home.
 
Yes, they miss their friends.  Yes, they are bored staying home.  Boredom and psychological harm are two totally different things. 

-------------------------

Reason #10 that Reading Scores Were Worse in 2019:  Boredom. What Causes Boredom?

​-------------------------
 
No, teaching is not always the best online.  Some teachers have done a fantastic job online.  They are to be applauded.  Others have just passed out a stack of worksheets.  Worksheets do not teach.  They never have, and they never will.
 
Personally, I find teaching online harder than teaching in-person, but then, all of my curriculum materials are written for groups.  I’m a group specialist, so I naturally write and design curriculum that works best in a group setting.  I’m designing and testing some new online material.  Looking at the present situation today though, we must now ask, 

 
Is it truly better for students to learn from home or be sent to classrooms where they may get omicron? 
 
I cannot see anything that justifies sending students to school right now.  I’m sorry, what we are doing is dangerous.  Listen to the students: do you not hear their fear?
 
“It doesn’t feel safe to be in school to be honest, … half the classes aren’t there. Some have COVID, some are afraid of COVID….”  Another student also said, “There’s no social distancing at all, the stairways are packed. There’s no point coming here if I’m going to get sick”….
  
Fear, anxiety, anger, and stress are what cause psychological harm, not sitting at home being bored or even sitting at home dealing with a less-than-perfect educational approach.  As for the loss in educational excellence, as my own research has proven, we can bring failing students up 3 and 4 grade levels in reading in one year.   The problem is that we will not change our teaching methods, but we will save that argument for another day. 

​------------------------- 

Vowel Clustering Is Better than Whole Language and Phonics

​-------------------------
 
What causes psychological harm?
Let’s return to the question of psychological harm. Right now, researchers are looking at what causes psychological harm in schools.  Bullying, verbal and physical harassment in school, name-calling, the threat of gun violence in school, and even reading failure have been documented to cause psychological harm.  Reading failure as a cause of psychological harm is how I got involved in reading education and proving that there is a better way to teach struggling students to read.
 
Claiming that students are falling behind is not a good reason for risking student lives by sending them to school right now, especially since classroom instruction before the pandemic left more than 60% of students unable to read at their grade level in 4th, 8th, and 12th grade.
 
​------------------------- 

Should We Be Sending Students Back to School? Part 1 

​------------------------- 
 
For years, I taught a class at the university entitled Psychology of Adjustment.  Students frequently said that the course opened their eyes to why people act as they do.  The textbook that I used was Weiten’s Psychology Applied to Modern Life:  Adjustment in the 21st Century.  My students also said that they learned so much just from reading the textbook.  In my experience, college students rarely admit learning anything from reading the textbook.  It’s a well written book, very easy to read, and the new edition is still being used in university classrooms.  You can even purchase a used copy for less than $7.00.
  
I mention Weiten’s book because he describes very carefully how mental illness and psychological harm are derived from daily actions and encounters.  As Weiten points out, it is how you adjust to the situations that you encounter in life that make the experience healthy or harmful.
 
The mere fact of online education for a few months or even for a year or more is not psychologically harmful.  It is how you adjust or cope with online education that creates the problem.
 
Marching in the street adds to anxiety and stress—not helpful.  Refusing to allow masks and vaccine mandates in schools adds to the fear and anxiety of faculty and students—very harmful.  Remember, it is fear, anxiety, and stress that actually causes psychological harm, not sitting home working on a computer or wearing a face mask all day in school.  I’ll say it again, wearing a face mask is not psychologically harmful.

​------------------------- 
 
Does Wearing a Face Mask Affect Your Ability to Breathe?

​------------------------- 
 
Forcing students to go to school when they are afraid of COVID can and does create psychological harm.
 
Beware of misinformation.  Just because your favorite politician or even your next-door neighbor says that it is psychologically harmful to teach remotely, doesn’t make it true. 
 
What is the real psychological harm? I will tell you what is psychologically harmful—sending students to school when they are worried about catching COVID-19.  As the student said in my opening example, 90% of the rest rooms were clogged with students frantically testing to see if they had COVID.  That’s like sending students into a battle zone.  Yes, if I sit all day in class worried that I am going to catch COVID from the person sitting next to me or even across the room from me, such stress is psychologically harmful.  I’m also not going to learn anything while I’m worried about getting sick.
 
Finding out that your teacher died of COVID after being exposed at school is psychologically harmful.
 
Worrying about making your grandparents sick if you get COVID is psychologically harmful because the student feels responsible for harming someone they love.
 
Yes, there is lots of psychological harm taking place at school, but it is not from wearing a mask or online instruction.
 
Attacks by gun shooters are psychologically harmful.
 
Bullying and (both verbal and physical) harassment at school is psychologically harmful.
 
Remember, it is the fear, anxiety, and stress that actually causes psychological harm.
 
Worrying over whether they will be allowed to wear a mask to protect themselves can cause psychological harm.  Notice, the mask does not cause psychological harm.  It is the fear of catching COVID because they are not allowed to wear a mask that actually causes the harm.
 
Besides, if we change our teaching methods, we can bring all of the students up who have suffered during the coronavirus pandemic.  We can also bring up the students who were already behind before the pandemic.  Sitting in the classroom is not the key to effective education.  Teaching method is the key that enables every student to learn.
 
​------------------------- 

Reading Wars Are Over!  Phonics Failed.  Whole Language Failed.  Balanced Literacy Failed. Who Won?  It Certainly Wasn’t the Students.

​------------------------- 
 
Soon, I plan to show you a lesson that I am developing for online instruction.  Yes, we really can teach from home successfully.
 
Student safety must come first.  Set politics aside.  Let the students learn from home till omicron calms down. 
 
Get vaccinated.  Get your booster and wear a N95 mask wherever you go.  Safety begins at home.  Keep the children safe.

Motivation is the driving force that explains why people act and behave as they do. Even though the image of a carrot dangling from the end of a stick in front of a person’s nose is often used as a symbol of motivation, you cannot actually motivate another person. ​

We need to reevaluate.  Would children actually lose that much educational value from 3 or 4 weeks of online classwork?  I say: no! 
 
Just to begin, let’s look at where education was before the coronavirus pandemic.  Education was not doing as much good as it should have been. As a psychologist, I study reading data because we have found that reading failure affects lifelong development from childhood to old age.  Yes, it really does.  When I was teaching university classes, I often sent my Lifespan Development students to a local nursing home to talk with residents about their early childhood experiences in reading.  As one man said, “We were the Bluebirds.  I have no idea why because everybody knew we couldn't read.  I still can’t read.”
 
Unfortunately, students are still having trouble reading.
Before the pandemic, according to the Nation’s Report Card, more than 60% of children were not able to read at their grade level in school in 4th, 8th, or 12th grade.  We have a major reading education problem in the U. S. 

“A 10-year-old Anne Arundel County elementary school student died from complications of COVID-19….  [he was]  a loving fourth-grade student who loved to play the viola and was part of Hilltop Elementary School’s Strings and Chorus group.”
 
“Over the past month, COVID-19 cases in children 0 to 9 increased by 40% with 17,379 cases in that period, and cases of children 10 to 19 increased by 38% with 25,102 cases in that period.”
 
So, whoever told you that COVID was not as serious for children—lied. 
 
COVID is very dangerous for children.
No, you cannot claim that Omicron is milder, either.  Omicron has shown itself to be dreadful for children.  Children are not placed in the hospital unless they are very, very sick. And, yet: 
 
“Children are also being hospitalized at record-high rates. During the week of Dec. 22 to Dec. 28, an average of 378 children age 17 and under were admitted per day to hospitals with the coronavirus, a 66% increase from the week before….
 
The problem is not just in one or two states.   Omicron has spread all across the nation.  Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston said they have a “four-fold increase in child hospitalizations.” Dr. Jim Versalovic, pathologist-in-chief at Texas Children's, says that "More than 700 children were in the hospital with Covid-19 during one 24-hour period last week….”  Similarly, Dr. Edith Bracho-Sanchez, a primary care pediatrician from Columbia University in New York said, "We would be foolish to keep minimizing Covid-19 in children at this point in the pandemic....upper airway conditions can be more dangerous for children than adults."
 
So yes, the facts do show that COVID is a terrible problem for children, and it’s a nationwide problem.  Children all across the United States are getting sick, some seriously, and some even dying.  So, why are we sending children back to school in the middle of the omicron surge?

 
This raises the question:  If Omicron is that serious for children, wouldn’t it be better to teach online until the omicron surge calms down? 
We are sending children back to school even though they are being hit harder than almost any other age group right now. No one wants the schools to close, but we need to be reasonable.  We need to take children’s health and safety into consideration.
 
Why are schools not offering online education throughout January or until omicron relaxes its attack on children?  I’m not talking about returning to online education for the rest of the year—just till omicron settles down.
 
Are students really going to learn that much in 3 or 4 weeks?  No.
Schools are just a breeding group for omicron, and the authorities say that cloth masks are less effective against omicron.  Furthermore, many republican governors, republican judges, and republican state legislators have forbidden schools to require masks in the classroom.  I’m sorry, but that is like saying, yes, we want our children to get sick from omicron.
 
Forget all of this excessive emphasis about adults' freedom and adults' personal rights.  Children also have rights, including a right to be safe. We have a responsibility as adults and as a society to protect children.  Are we doing it? NO.
 
------------
Read:  How Dangerous Is Misinformation?
------------ 

Yes, my own research has shown that we can bring failing students up 4 grade levels in reading in one year, but to do so we must change how we teach students to read.  So yes, we can overcome all of the failure created last year and this year by the coronavirus pandemic.  If we change the methods that we use to teach students to read in the classroom, we can teach students to read.

------------ 
For more on how to teach children to read, see:  Vowel Clustering Works Better than Phonics with At-Risk Students  
------------ 
 
We need to keep our children safe.  Get vaccinated.  Get your booster, and please, do not forget to wear a mask.  Not just any mask, they are now telling us to step up to a N49 mask.  Make sure that your child is wearing a N95 mask everywhere they go.

--------------- 
Misinformation Kills:  Has Your Child Been Vaccinated?  Or, Are You Waiting? 
---------------

No, COVID-19 did not go away.  As a mater of fact, it’s worse.  As we head into the new year, COVID is raging on.  Why?  Why can’t we stop the pandemic? 
 
As I have been stating for several weeks now, I believe, that the problem is the misinformation and out-and-out lies that are being spread across the nation and even around the world. Politicians politicize the pandemic while other people fail to understand the problem. 

For more on the dangers of misinformation, read: 

Misinformation Encourages COVID to Spread

How Dangerous Is Misinformation?
 
 
We Can’t Stop COVID because of Politicians.

​Peter C. Herman, Professor of English at San Diego State University, has offered a different opinion that I think we should listen to and consider.
 
In Newsweek this week, Professor Herman states,
 
“Five Republican-led states—Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, and Tennessee—have extended unemployment benefits to anyone who loses their job because they refused a COVID vaccine.”
 
In other words, certain Republicans are rewarding people for refusing the vaccine.
 
“This is insanity. In the midst of an uptick in a deadly pandemic, it is absolutely ludicrous to give people an incentive to refuse to [take] the vaccine. And if you tell me that benefits do not incentivize behavior, allow me to direct your attention to the many Republicans who have spent their careers arguing that unemployment incentivizes laziness.”

 
Just Because Someone Makes a Bad Decision, You Can’t Call It Insane.
 
As a psychologist, I understand Professor Herman’s frustration, but I must remind all of us, that no, this is not insanity. When we are frustrated with someone or something, we all have a tendency to say, “that's insane.”  I definitely agree that encouraging people to NOT take the vaccine is very, very bad.  Yet, it’s not insane.
 
Let’s turn to clinical psychologist Dr. Ryan Howes, Ph. D. for a definition.  Insanity is a
 
“…mental illness of such a severe nature that a person cannot distinguish fantasy from reality, cannot conduct her/his affairs due to psychosis [having lost contact with reality] or is subject to uncontrollable impulsive behavior.”
  
Dr. Howe's article in Psychology Today is easy to read, and I hope you'll go and read the entire article.  It's both entertaining and enlightening.
 
We need to quit confusing bad decisions with mental illness.  Perfectly sane people make bad decisions every day.  If you need an example, I consider anyone who has refused to take the COVID vaccine or going out in public not wearing a mask to be a person who is making a bad decision. Yet, that person is not insane.
 
It is clear that such bad decisions are making COVID-19 spread and continue to spread across the nation and around the world.
 
 
We Can’t Stop COVID Because People Keep Making Bad Decisions.

Making a bad decision or encouraging someone to make a bad decision is not an example of insanity, but bad decisions are causing COVID to spread and get worse—which means more people are getting sick and dying.  Look at the numbers. As CBS News reports:
 
“As the Omicron variant continues to sweep across the U.S., especially in the Northeast, unvaccinated people of all ages are at increased risk — including children. The U.S. is averaging 260 pediatric COVID-19 hospitalizations a day, up nearly 30% from last week. 
 
Health officials say pediatric hospitalizations in New York City rose nearly five-fold from the start of December. Almost all of those children were unvaccinated.”

 
What Is Causing People to Make Such Bad Decisions?
 
There is no question that bad decisions are fueling the spread of COVID-19?  So, why are people willing to believe misinformation?
 
I think the real problem is that politicians are willing to risk someone else’s life so that they may gain a few more votes in the next election.  No, it's not insane, but it is also not how one human being should treat another.  Let's look at some facts.
 
Herman was correct when he wrote that Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, and Tennessee are adding legislation that will in fact give people unemployment benefits if they lose their job because they will not get the COVID vaccine.
  
Herman is also correct when he says that such legislative action by conservative states will make COVID continue. 
 
The fear and the misinformation that some people are spewing out about the COVID vaccines is actually killing people and allowing COVID to continue to spread and change into new variants.  Yes, every time you refuse the vaccine or refuse to wear a mask, you are helping COVID-19 continue to spread and kill people.
 
Look at Donald Trump, who recently was asked if he had been vaccinated and received his booster shot.  Trump said, "Yes…."  Bill O’Reilly also said, "I got it too…."

------------
Bill's Post: Trump Asked His Supporters to Take the Vaccine 
------------

We Can’t Stop COVID because People Are Treating a Medical Problem as if It Is a Political Question.
 
COVID-19 kills.  Not getting vaccinated leads to the spread of COVID-19 and can kill.  Therefore, Professor Herman is correct when he says that encouraging people not to get the COVID vaccine is contributing to the spread of COVID-19 and the death of more people from COVID.  Providing financial incentives to not get vaccinated is definitely contributing to the growth and continuance of COVID-19.
 
As Professor Herman states in his article,
 
“…not so long ago Republican states cut unemployment benefits because, they thought, they encouraged people not to find jobs. 
 
“Republicans claim that they want to make the COVID vaccine a matter of choice…. But if the pathway to safety is indeed "paved in freedom," why stop with COVID vaccines? There are many other government mandates that stand in the way of freedom.
 
“Seatbelts, for example: Most states have mandatory seatbelt laws (New Hampshire is the exception) for adults. All states mandate that children must be buckled in.  …why not make seatbelts subject to parental choice as well? Shouldn't we trust parents to know and do what's best for their children?
 
“Each state also requires that children receive various vaccines (polio, chicken pox, measles, mumps and rubella) before entering kindergarten.
 
“Moreover, by their logic, if getting a vaccine is a matter of choice, shouldn't hospitals and health insurance companies have the choice to refuse treatment to people who get sick because they refused the vaccine? Shouldn't they have the freedom to prioritize breakthrough cases and other, non-COVID related illnesses and diseases?
 
“Republicans, after all, are supposed to favor holding people accountable for their behavior. Should an increasingly rare ICU bed go to someone who acted responsibly? Or irresponsibly?
 
“In their drive to oppose any and all Democratic policies, Republicans are leading their followers to an early grave. Truly, the Republican Party has turned into a death cult.”
 
Yes, Professor Herman strays a little heavily into the world of opinion, but he does clearly label his piece as “opinion.”  I would have to agree that rewarding people for refusing to take the COVID vaccine is truly wrong.  It will just prolong the coronavirus pandemic and cause more people to die.  I truly do not see how you can justify such an action.  It's time to stop playing politics with people's lives.  We need to care about one another.  We need to help each other.  We are supposed to be an educated society; it's time that we prove it.
 
Professor Herman’s article is well written, and I hope you'll read it and think about what he says.

---------------

For more on political control, read

Exactly Who Is in Control of Your Life?
----------------
 
We Cannot Stop the Coronavirus Pandemic Because People Will Not Believe the Truth. 
 
The truth is that the COVID vaccine is safe, even for children.
 
Yes, I know that a popular TV network had someone on the air this week saying that the vaccine is not safe for children.  That is wrong.  Such statements are misinformation and will cause many children to get sick and even some will die. 
 
Check medical sources for medical facts.  We want to remember that COVID vaccines are safe and effective.  Look at the facts.  Look at how many people have safely taken the Covid vaccine.
  
You must also get your booster shot, especially with omicron spreading across the nation.
 
Don't listen to information from politicians, social media, or even your favorite radio or TV host.    Search for the truth. 
 
Get the facts, and no, there are no “alternative facts.”  There is only one set of facts.  When you reinterpret or distort the facts, you are spreading misinformation.  Misinformation kills people.

Just last month Governor DeSantis was bragging that Florida had COVID-19 under control.  Unfortunately, that is just not true. 

 
“COVID-19 is once again soaring in Florida,” reported the Tampa Bay Times: 
 
“There were 29,568 new cases identified from Dec 10-16, according to the weekly report the state released late Friday. There were 13,530 cases reported in the previous seven-day period. That’s a jump of 118 percent in one week....
 
“The daily average went from 1,933 cases per day last week to 4,224 cases per day this week.”

  
The claim that COVID is over or even under control is absolutely false, and it’s not just in Florida.

 
“The US is now averaging 118,717 new Covid-19 cases each day -- 40% higher than a month ago - according to data from Johns Hopkins University, and 1,326 Covid-19 deaths are being reported each day on average. That's a 12% increase compared to a month prior. Coronavirus hospitalizations also continue to climb, having now trended upward for more than two months as hospitals across the country face staffing shortages. According to US Health and Human Services, 67,306 are hospitalized with Covid-19, 40% higher than a month ago. Beds in intensive care units are 78% full, and one in five of those patients are Covid-19 patients.”

 
No, these are not “alternative facts.”  This is the reality of what is actually happening in our country right now.  As I have said before, “alternative facts” do not exist.  There is only one factual truth.  Yes, we can have different opinions, but we do not have different facts.  People who claim that they have “alternative facts” are simply spreading misinformation.  It is true that we can perceive and interpret facts differently, but different interpretations do not change the facts.  Different interpretations and distortions of the actual facts are a form of misinformation.  If you are actually reporting facts, they will be the same as what others report.  If you are reporting opinions or perceptions, each person’s opinions and perceptions are different, but the facts do not change, just because we have different opinions or interpretations of the facts.
 
We need the truth—the facts.
 
When you distort or interpret facts incorrectly, that’s misinformation.  Instead of continuing to read or spread misinformation, we need to change. 
 
This Christmas, we need to stop fighting and arguing about whether we should or should not get vaccinated or wear masks.  The answers are obvious. 
 
We need for everyone to be vaccinated.
 
Yes, the COVID vaccine is safe, and it saves lives. 
 
Researchers from Yale University and the Commonwealth Fund found that the vaccine saved approximately “… 279,000 additional deaths due to Covid-19 -- about 46% more than there were -- and as many as 1.25 million additional hospitalizations if there were no vaccinations.” 
 
 
So, yes everyone needs to get vaccinated.  It’s not about “freedom,” “personal choice,” or “control.” Every single person who isn’t vaccinated is potentially exposing every other person in their community, neighborhood, family, or group because unvaccinated people are allowing COVID to continue to grow, spread, and change into new variants.  When people refuse to get vaccinated, they are actually supporting COVID-19 because they allow the pandemic to continue.  Yes, when you are unvaccinated, you are encouraging COVID to spread.  Don’t take my word for it.  Read the report.

 
U.S. Public Health Director Annette Rodriguez gave a very timely warning this last week in our area reminding everyone to put their masks back on.  It’s a warning that everyone should listen to:  
 

"I've seen a lot of people around the community who have stopped wearing a mask, you really need to put those masks back on because Omicron is probably already here, we just haven't identified it…."
 
 
Give the gift of life, this Christmas: get vaccinated.  Make sure you get your booster as well.  You are not fully protected unless you have received your booster.  Also, don’t forget your mask.

I usually host a Christmas brunch at my house.  Of course, this year, I cannot.  A friend who usually attends my brunch has requested a picture of Saint Lucia.  I top my Christmas tree with a Saint Lucia beaded ornament.  The beaded ornaments, called "Christments" (Christ + ornament), are from three books that I wrote. 
 
As written in the Around the World section of my book, The Christment Tree, Volume 3,
 
“In Sweden, St. Lucia day on December the 13th is the day that truly opens the Christmas season. Lucia is the “Queen of Light” and her festival was originally celebrated on one of the darkest and shortest days of the year….  Today, St. Lucia has become the symbol of hope and plenty…. Saint Lucia is placed on top of the Christmas tree to remind us of those who are hungry throughout the world.”
 
She is definitely one of the harder Christments to make, but again, just read and follow the directions and patterns in Book 3.
 
For the children, there are very simple letters to make.  As shown on the cover of Book 3, there are complete instructions and patterns for writing the words “Peace on Earth.”  Yes, we definitely need peace this year and always. 
 
You may also write the word LOVE with beads and letters.
 
The Christment Tree, Volume 1 provides patterns and instructions for writing LOVE that even 5-year old’s can follow.  When I list an age group for a project, it means that I have actually tested the project with children of that age.

Omicron is already making headway in the United States, and misinformation abounds.  Misinformation about omicron is everywhere, like this post on Telegram that went out to more than a million members claiming that “…vaccines had caused the omicron variant….”   
 
As Gerrit De Vynck explains in the Washington Post,
 
… nearly two years into the pandemic many people are feeling fatigued. They may be even more susceptible to believing fake information about the coronavirus after the seemingly endless cycles of travel bans, lockdowns and the need for more vaccines and booster shots….
 
I encourage you to read this Washington Post article.  As this article explains, “we may need to change our behavior….” because absolutely nothing seems to be slowing down the spread of misinformation.  If anything, misinformation is growing. A second article that you may also want to read teaches you how to identify misinformation.  This is an excellent article and worth your time to read.
  
I’ll have more to say about this article later.  Today, I want to look at the research on omicron and the misinformation being spread about this research.

 
What do we know about Omicron?  The truth.
 
On Tuesday, the media reported on a study from South Africa that indicated that the Pfizer COVID vaccine is not as effective with omicron.  Yes, social media went wild. 
 
“Why should we get the vaccine if it's not effective?  I told you it wouldn't work.”  The list of comments goes on and on and on.
 
On Wednesday morning, research was clarified.  Pfizer reported on a study that showed that the Pfizer COVID vaccine is effective against omicron if you have had your booster.  Albert Bourla, the CEO at Pfizer, stated during an interview on the “Today” show with NBC that
 
"Three doses against omicron are almost equivalent to the two doses effectiveness we had against the ... original variant…."
  
I hope that you will read this article and watch the video.  The interview is very well done and clarifies the effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine against omicron. 
 
Don’t believe what you read on social media.  Search for the truth.
 
 
Read Carefully.
 
The Pfizer research report is not a contradiction.  It is new research.  The South Africa study only tested people who had received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine; therefore, the South Africa research reports on the effects of two doses of Pfizer.  The Pfizer report on Wednesday, gives the results of a study from people who had received three doses of the Pfizer vaccine--the booster.
 
What the research tells us is that if you have taken your booster shot, you have a high likelihood of being protected against omicron.  If you have only taken two doses of Pfizer, then no, you do not have strong protection against omicron.  So, go get your booster shot.
 
These are not “alternative facts” or “alternative research” as some people are reporting on social media.  These two studies tested two totally different groups of people. 
 
The South Africa group tested only people with two shots of the Pfizer vaccine; therefore, their results give the effect of only two shots of Pfizer with the omicron virus. 
 
The Pfizer study researched not only people who had taken two doses, but also people who had had three doses (the booster).  The Pfizer study found similar results for people who had only had two doses of the Pfizer vaccine, but when they tested people who had had three doses, the results were quite different. 
 
You must read scientific research studies carefully.  You must read exactly what the study tests.  Then, you must read the results carefully to see exactly what it tells you.
 
Both of these studies are good. They're just testing two different things.  Neither study contradicts the other.
 
If you read only the South Africa study or use only the South Africa study to support your opinion that vaccines do not work, then you are spreading misinformation.  You are not looking at all the facts.  You are separating out one tiny portion of the research and ignoring the total research picture.  These are not “alternative facts;” your facts are just incomplete.
 
Search for the truth.  Don't be misled by social media and politicians who are basing their upcoming campaigns on fear and anger.
 
Give the gift of life this Christmas.  Get vaccinated and don't forget to wear a mask.  If you’ve been vaccinated, get your booster shot.  Let this be a truly Merry Christmas for everyone.

Earlier: Don’t Believe Misinformation and Lies:  This Christmas, Give the Gift of Life.

Marcus Lamb, a televangelist, just died from COVID-19.  He didn’t believe in vaccines or masks, and he took ivermectin.  Unfortunately, he died.  Misinformation kills.
 
Misinformation can, and has, killed people during the coronavirus pandemic, and misinformation will keep killing as long as misinformation is allowed to spread and lead people astray. 
 
Misinformation is also killing young people. 
_____________

Read:  Misinformation Kills:  Has Your Child Been Vaccinated?  Or, Are You Waiting?
_____________

So, how do we stop misinformation from killing people? 
 
We can stop misinformation from killing people by teaching people to search for the truth, evaluate what they read, and by helping people comprehend and understand what they are reading or hearing.
 
Let’s look at an example. 
 
Governor Ron DeSantis and his supporters have been plastering the airwaves, social media, and TV news claiming that Florida has been more successful than “blue” states in controlling COVID-19.  But is that actually true? 
 
Remember, “alternative facts” do not exist.  Alternative facts are make-believe, or what some people might call out-and-out lies or distortions. 
 
Facts are true—can be proven.  Perceptions and opinions are merely based on what a person thinks.  Perceptions are not necessarily true—often they are not.  Opinions are frequently biased; they usually are. 
 
What we are looking for is the truth—something that can be proven.
 
Let’s look at some facts.
 
Yes, Florida is experiencing a low case rate right now, but does that necessarily point to success? No, it does not. 
 
As Nicholas Reich, professor of biostatistics at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst said,

"It's not appropriate to evaluate success in controlling the pandemic by looking at one snapshot in time….  Sure, Florida is having quite low case and hospitalization rates right now, but they only got there after enduring one of the most intense periods of COVID infections, hospitalizations, and deaths that any state has seen yet…Those aren't indicators of successful pandemic management overall."
  
Before Governor DeSantis and his supporters brag, they must look at the total picture.  If you are going to claim that you have found the answer to controlling COVID, you must actually produce proof over time.  I would be thrilled if Florida had discovered an answer to the pandemic, but it’s just not true.  Don’t fall for political propaganda.  Search for the truth.
 
In Newsweek’s Fact Check article, Ed Browne points out that

•  [Florida] “… is the joint seventh-worst-affected state in regard to overall death rates per 100,000 people throughout the COVID pandemic as a whole….
• “…has reported the 15-highest COVID case rate per 100,000 people throughout the pandemic as a whole….
• “… [had] one of the biggest summer spikes in the country, making Florida one of the harder-hit states in overall case counts….

If we are using our comprehension skills and not just believing whatever is said by a group of politicians, we should begin to question what DeSantis and his supporters are saying. 
 
Propaganda is defined as information of a biased or misleading nature that is used to promote or publicize a particular political cause, candidate, or point of view.  Propaganda is never accurate. 
  
Jennifer Dowd, associate professor of demography and population health at the University of Oxford, reminds each of us that:
 
"All parts of the country that were on fire with Delta this summer are currently low and vice versa. We truly do not know why it has moved around like this regionally from the beginning of the pandemic but it has been a consistent pattern of flare-ups followed by periods of relative quiet."
 
"But another wave will almost surely crash back into Florida, where vaccination rates are lower than many places in Europe that are currently seeing spikes…."
  
So, yes, it sounds good at first to say, that the state’s numbers are lower than anyone else’s, but is it true when you look at the total picture?  Who do you blame when the next spike occurs? 
 
Have DeSantis and his supporters really controlled COVID, or are they just selling more propaganda?  Sounds like propaganda to me.
 
This one example shows how carefully reading, evaluating, and truly understanding what is being said makes a big difference.  If we just listened to the sound bites or social media tweets, we might believe the propaganda being distributed by DeSantis and his supporters. If we look at all of the facts, we see a totally different picture.
 
I hope that you will read the full Newsweek article because it is a good example of how to analyze what is being said.  The article also shows how information and facts get distorted into misinformation.
 
Is there a way to teach people how to evaluate what they read?
 
I talked earlier about a team that is developing a video game to teach adults how to tell the difference between what is actually true and what is not true. 
 
_____________

For more information about the video game, see: How Dangerous Is Misinformation? 
_____________ 

I’m still waiting to read their final report.  It will be interesting to see if they can indeed teach adults to correctly determine true information from misinformation and lies.
 
How Can We Teach Comprehension and Critical Reading?

I have for years been successful teaching children to read for details and to evaluate and understand what they read.  When you train children to read for details, their comprehension scores increase, their understanding of the material that they read is much better. 
Let’s look at an example.  Since we are all scurrying around getting ready for Christmas, I decided to use a Christmas example.
 
One program that I use this time of year is my Christment Workshop.  A Christment is an ornament made from beads and chenille stems. As shown in the picture, the Christment tree tells the story of Christmas.  Children (even 4-year-olds) can make an ornament.  My books provide step-by-step directions, patterns, and pictures.  Each ornament is graded by skill level needed for completion, so that all ages can be included.
 
Following step-by-step directions is one of the best ways to build comprehension skills.
 
Yes, you actually help students learn to comprehend what they are reading when they apply what they read to a hands-on project.  Almost any hands-on project works.

_____________

For more information:  Reading Comprehension
 _____________

Christments are easy to make, and the children love making them.
 
These simple ornaments may be used at home by families, in the classroom by teachers, or even in assisted living facilities with seniors who are working on building their skills.
 
I’ve even used the beaded candle ornaments from the Christment books at my reading clinic.  Candles are not necessarily related just to church.  The children practice reading, following directions, and comprehending what they are reading as they make the candles.  And yes, we have fun as well as learn.
 
My group made simple candles and took them home to hang in their bedroom window as a suncatcher.  The candles of course also work on the Christmas tree.  The point is that you are teaching comprehension skills.  These are skills that all children, teens, and evidently even adults need to learn.
 
Don’t Believe Misinformation and Lies:  Get Vaccinated.  Yes, the vaccine is safe.

And Don’t Forget to Wear a Mask.  Boosters are important too.
 
_____________

For more about my Christment tree books and other publications, click: 

Elaine Clanton Harpine's Books
_____________

This is a simple Christment candle that even a 4-year-old can make.  Children string the beads and shape to the pattern in The Christment Tree Pattern Book, Volume 3. Children read and follow step-by-step directions to complete the project. 

This candle is also easy to make, but it has a few more steps to follow.  The challenge is perfect for elementary age children.  Children simply follow the directions and patterns in The Christment Tree, Volume 2. 

Teenagers enjoy making this candle.  However, several elementary age children have followed the step-by-step directions in The Christment Tree, Volume 1, and made this candle as well.  The idea is to teach comprehension by following directions. 

While you are buying presents this year, give the gift of life.  If you are not already, get vaccinated.  If you are vaccinated, make sure to get your booster shot.  If you know someone who is not vaccinated, try to convince them to get vaccinated.  Yes, I know that it is hard to break through the misinformation and lies.  Misinformation is killing people.  We need to find a way to stop the misinformation that is spreading through our country. In this post, I document the facts about the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines and show how misinformation spreads because people do not understand everything they read in a critical manner.  
 
First, Yes, Evidence Shows That the Vaccines Are Very Safe.
 
The truth is:  COVID-19 vaccines are safe and readily available for ages 5 through seniors, and the COVID vaccine is the best way to prevent getting COVID-19.  Also, don’t forget to keep wearing a mask.  The mask is important and safe.

Did you know that the U.S. has been one of the countries hardest hit by COVID-19 in the world?

“Ironically, the nation which is considered the most medically advanced in the world has the highest number of both confirmed cases and deaths. The US count sits at just over 48 million cases, which is 18% of the world’s total. Deaths, at just over 777,000 are 15% of the world’s total. US numbers are also undercounted according to most experts.”
 
COVID-19 is on the rise again, especially the children.  Give a child a chance to grow-up and become an adult, get the child vaccinated.  Don’t believe the misinformation and lies.  Vaccinate the children.
“Weekly pediatric infections have risen by more than 40% since late October.”

 
Second, People Often Do Not Understand What They Read
 
One of the reasons that coronavirus is so bad in our country is that people do not analyze or comprehend what they read.  As I have said before, at my reading clinic, I teach children how to tell the difference between what is true and what is make-believe.  Maybe we need to do this with adults as well. People need to understand what they read.  They also need to be able to evaluate what they read.  

I also teach children how to comprehend what they read. I'll be posting in the near future about how we can improve reading comprehension. 

 
Keep children safe this Christmas.  Let them Live.  Get them vaccinated.
Don’t let social media lies kill the children.

​_______________
 
For more about the failure of the standard system for teaching comprehension, see: 
Reason #8 That Reading Scores Were Lower in 2019 than in 2017:  The Three Cueing System 
 
For more about teaching children, see: 
​How Dangerous Is Misinformation?