The battle lines have been drawn.  Some politicians are demanding that schools open.  Others are saying, let’s be reasonable.  We simply cannot open the schools right now.
 
The Coronavirus Is Spreading

Florida just recorded more than 15,000 new cases of the coronavirus and that, unfortunately, is a one-day high for the United States.   
 
A teacher died after returning to the classroom.  Three public school teachers who were working in a shared summer classroom in Arizona tested positive for coronavirus last month.  Two are still sick.  One has died.  Each of the teachers wore masks, gloves, followed all social distancing rules, used hand sanitizer, and took every precaution.  As Jeff Gregorich, the Superintendent of Hayden Winkelman Unified School District said,
 
“…the three teachers were careful and still got Covid-19…..I think that's really the message or the concern that our staff has is we can't even keep our staff safe by themselves ... how are we going to keep 20 kids in a classroom safe? I just don't see how that's possible…. Many grandparents, wind up being caretakers to kids when they get off school- mom and dad are working and a lot of grandparents are even raising their grandchildren. So, many of these grandparents fall into this high risk category of being older with more health issues…. They have no business opening the schools to try and get back to a traditional classroom ... let's get through this pandemic first before we try to get back to normal."
 
My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and all of the families who have suffered and lost loved ones, but I’m very grateful that this family shared their story.  Too many people are still saying that coronavirus is a hoax, that it is not dangerous, that it is just a political trick.  Wrong.
 
The coronavirus pandemic is very, very real, and it is killing real people 
 
There is absolutely no way we can safely open schools in the fall for the children or the teachers and staff.  We must stop playing political games.  Politicians can no longer sit in their white ivory towers and ignore the daily statistics or deny that there is a lethal virus attacking our country.  People are dying.  We can’t save the economy until we stop coronavirus.

Earlier Post: Should Schools Reopen in the Fall?
 
Yes, I know that the American Academy of Pediatrics came out with a statement strongly saying that schools should reopen in the fall. They’ve now changed their story.  They now say only if it is safe and the coronavirus numbers are not surging.  There are very few places this week where the coronavirus numbers are not surging, so we obviously should ignore their advice.
 
Several schools have already announced that they plan to go against the recommendations coming out of the White House.
 
Florida first mandated opening.  Now, they say they’ll wait.
 
California is applying pressure, but the California Teachers Association is insisting on waiting until it is safe. David Fisher, president of the Sacramento City Teachers Association said,  
 
“We hope we don’t have to go there, but if it comes to it, we do retain the right to refuse to work under unsafe conditions…. The virus is raging, and the circumstances that we were thinking we might be dealing with in September only a few weeks ago seem to be changing by the day. It just is looking increasingly unlikely that we will be able to teach in person at any level when schools first open.”
 
A 61-year-old social studies teacher from Sarasota High School in Florida who is in her 27th year of teaching said, “I’m at an age where I am scared for my life…. What good is money if you are sick or dead?” 

Earlier Post: Helping Children Learn about Reading When the Schools Are Closed
 
Oh yes, the battle lines have definitely been drawn.  President. Trump has threatened to withhold funds to schools that do not do what he wants, but it doesn’t look like he actually has that power.  Betsy De Vos, Secretary of Education, has also made threats.  Vice President Pence is trying to bully the CDC, but fortunately they did not buckle under and rewrite the guidelines for the safe reopening of schools when the White House demanded that they do so.  
 
The New York Times also uncovered a document this week that says, 
 
“Since May, the C.D.C. website has cautioned that full reopening would be 'highest risk,' and that in both K-12 and higher education settings, the more people interact, 'and the longer that interaction, the higher the risk of Covid-19 spread.' The 'lowest risk,' the guidelines say, would be for students and teachers to attend virtual-only classes — an option the administration this week began a full-court press against.”
 
Dr. Thomas File, president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, and Dr. Judith Feinberg, chair of HIV Medicine Association said in a joint statement,
 
"We will not gain control of this pandemic or successfully reopen the economy unless we protect people and public health first…. The safety of our children, their families, teachers and other school staff must be guiding factors in all school reopening decisions, and no school should be forced to open in a situation that presents unacceptable risks." 
 
Exactly how much evidence do we need that it would be unsafe to open schools in the fall? 

First and foremost, children need to relax, reduce their stress level, and simply have fun.  Actually, this is something we all need to do this summer.  This has been an extremely stressful spring, and the summer is not looking any better.  You may be asking, “How can we have fun? We can’t go anywhere.”
 
You can have fun at home. You just need to create your own fun.  No, not with computer games or by sitting in front of the TV.  Get active.  Use your creativity.

• If you’re able to get out in the yard, a backyard scavenger hunt can be a fun family activity.  Scavenger hunts can range from very simple—find something red….  Scavenger hunts can be fun as well as educational—find a plant that is green, identify the plant, and tell three things about it.  Each team can go around with a camera (phone), take pictures of each item they find, and then when it’s time to go into the shade or back inside the house, each team can look up items they found, identify and label each picture, and then read and learn something about the plant.  Learning really can be fun. You can finish off by planting some seeds or transplanting established plants in the garden to a new location.  The idea is to be active, outside, and working together as a family. 
• Even if we can’t go for a hike or to the gardening store this weekend for new plants, you might try growing a new plant from a cutting from one of your established yard plants.  The children will enjoy looking at the changes that occur each day.  Sweet potatoes and a jar of water are an all-time standard because the trick works every time.  I’m presently trying to grow a rose cutting in a potato.  I’m not sure that it will work, but I’m giving it a try. There are all kinds of suggestions online.  Find a plant in your yard.  Look up online to see if it can be transplanted.  Then, follow the directions.  Have fun.

​Don’t sit around just watching TV, playing video games, or saying, “I’m bored.”  Explore.
Find something new and learn all about it.  Yes, we’re stuck at home, but home can be a fun place to be.
 
Helping others and giving to others is one of the best ways we can help our children reduce their stress levels and feel happier during these difficult days.  Thinking of the needs of others is always a good idea.
 
Yes, I know that some children also need to be working on getting ready to go back to school in the fall.  In my next blog post, I’ll explore some fun ways to incorporate learning into your summer activities.

I have been asked if I would talk more about how to incorporate hands-on learning into a lesson.  Here is a simple example. 
 

First, Make a book

Put glue on the top side of the loose end of the spiral.  Pull spiral up and glue to the opposite page.  Press glued ends down firmly.

Open and close.  Your book should open to show spiral and then close flat.  If there is a problem, readjust the spiral.

Second, Write a Story

One rule that I have with pop-ups is that every pop-up must have a story, even if that story is only three sentences long.  Reading a story is often a good way to encourage children to write.  The pop-up makes it fun.  Have your child write a story about their feelings, problems, or fears.  For very young children, you may also write down a story that the child tells.  If your child is reluctant to write a story, start a story and then have them finish the story.  Teens should also write stories about their feelings or problems.  If teens feel that the single pop-up is too simple, challenge them to make the pop up at the top of the page.  It is simply three spirals put together.  Not as hard as it looks.
 
Always edit and correct grammatical and spelling problems.
 
Glue the story on the back of the pop-up.  Write the title of the story and author’s name on the front cover.  Children may also decorate the front cover, but do not use liquid glue.  Only use glue sticks with pop-ups.  Liquid glue soaks through the paper.
 
Reading a story out loud is the best way to improve reading fluency.  Have the child practice reading the story to you.  You may even videotape your child reading their story and share the video with family and friends.  Ask for the child’s permission first.
 
You have turned a simple story into an entire lesson.  You have taught reading, writing, possibly spelling, and reading fluency.  You have also spent time talking about feelings and problems.   
 
In this time of uncertainty and tragedy, we must all try to do what we can to help others.  Perhaps a simple story can show us the way to equality, justice, and a better way of life.  One suggestion that I have this summer is to help your children and teens look for stories or books that illustrate how to live a better life, how to treat others fairly, how to help those in need, how to speak kindly, how to be considerate of others feelings, how to turn away from hatred and anger, how to work for peace.  Superheroes are fine – up to a point, but I’d like to challenge children, teenagers, and adults to look for reading material that will help you change your life and also help you change the life of those around you.  We must not just think about ourselves; we must always think of the needs of others as well.

Politicians, school administrators, teachers, and even parents are arguing back and forth whether it is safe to open schools in the fall.  Regardless whether we open or do not open, both plans are going to be riddled with problems, frustration, and, most likely, tears. 
 
Before we try to answer the question of whether we should open or not, let’s turn to the
CDC guidelines for schools to reopen.  The guidelines are extensive, so I'll summarize, but I encourage you to read the list in its entirety:  

• social distancing—all desks 6 feet apart, social distancing in halls and on buses, keep all desk facing in one direction, even seat students in one direction at tables 
• close all “communal shared areas” – playgrounds, cafeterias, gym locker rooms, and erect plastic barriers between restroom sinks 
• “cloth face coverings” should be worn by staff and students – even the CDC admits this may be a challenge, especially getting younger children to wear a face mask all day. 
• staggered schedules – including arrival and drop-off times, even possibly staggered class schedules 
• serve prepackaged individual meals – have children eat at their desk in the classroom, schools may also require students to bring lunch from home  
• no field trips – use virtual activities, limit visitors and volunteers 
• have students bring their own water bottles to minimize use of water fountains 
• avoid sharing – art supplies, pencils, electronics, library books, toys 
• clean and disinfect frequently – door handles, water faucets, buses, classrooms 
• post signs and show videos – to show how to properly wash hands and how to properly wear a face mask 
• screen all students and staff daily for Covid-19

 
This extensive list still doesn’t answer the question:  Should we or should we not reopen?  There is no one simple answer or blueprint to follow.  This is not a one-size-fits-all solution.  Let’s turn to Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for his advice:  “…it’s always related to the level of activity of the virus….”  
 
Are You Sure That We Should Open Schools in the Fall?
 
Not everyone agrees that we should.  Some school districts and colleges have made the decision to keep classes online in the fall.  To some extent, we must wait to see what the state of the coronavirus is in the fall.  So, we cannot simply say, “open the doors; school is back in session.”  Yes, we must plan.  We cannot just sit down and wait to see what happens, but as we consider the difficulty of reopening school, we must also answer, “should we?”   
  
Three Reasons that we should not open schools in the fall
I’ll give three reasons why we should not open schools in the fall.  I stated in previous blog posts that group or classroom style teaching is better than online or remote teaching.  At present, however, online education is safer for our children.  Safety is a good reason to not reopen schools in the fall.
 
 
First reason that should keep us from opening schools in the fall is safety.  We must ask:  Is it Safe? 
 
Let’s go to the experts first.  Dr. Aaron E, Carroll, Associate Dean professor of pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine said that,
 
“U. S. schools cannot safely reopen until public health officials find ways to identify and treat people infected with Covid 19.”  
 
Yes, you can find many people who will say “the numbers are going down and everything is fine.”  Really?  According to Johns Hopkins University, there were 21,140 new cases of coronavirus in the United States on June 4th.

Statista Research and Analysis stated that “Approximately 27,900 new cases of Covid-19 were reported in the United states on June 18, 2020.”
 
We are a long way from winning the battle against coronavirus.  Yes, some states are seeing a bit of relief, but other places are seeing definite spikes.  
 
So, safety is definitely a major concern and reason to question whether school should reopen in the fall.
 
Many parents are worried about the health and safety of their children if schools reopen in the fall.  According to one survey, 60% of K-12 parents said they would not be sending their children back to school in the fall; instead they would be seeking online options.
 
Yes, there are others saying, “please hurry up; open the schools.” 
 
I understand that parents need to go back to work, and to do so, many parents need the schools to reopen.  Yet, need doesn’t answer the safety question. 
 
In all of these discussions, are we really critically evaluating what is best for the children?   
 
 
We must remember that when we are discussing safety, children get sick too.
 
What about the children who are still getting sick from coronavirus complications, and what about the children who have died?  New York alone reported 161 cases of mysterious pediatric links with coronavirus. 
 
More: Should We Pretend It's OK to Open the Schools?

Harvard Medical School published an article stating:  
 
“Children, including very young children, can develop Covid-19….  A complication that is more recently been observed in children can be severe and dangerous. Called multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), it can lead to life-threatening problems with the heart and other organs in the body. Early reports compare it to Kawasaki disease, an inflammatory illness that can lead to heart problems.”
 
Many teenagers have also been found to have the symptoms.  Hundreds of cases have been registered from across the nation.  Definite health dangers lie in the path of reopening in the fall.
 
Do we turn a blind eye to these problems and just say, “I don’t care any more? I’m tired of being stuck in the house.  I cannot deal with another day of homeschooling.” 
 
We need to face the facts. Coronavirus is not a hoax.  Coronavirus is real, and it is dangerous.  
We must also face that there are health risks involved with reopening the schools.  The question is:  Are the benefits worth the risks?
 
The second reason that we should consider not opening schools in the fall is mental health.
 
Everyone warns that school will not be the same as when it closed in March.  Students and teachers will be faced with a completely different approach to classroom education.  Many schools are contemplating to have some students attend a morning session and other students attend an afternoon session.  Other may have students attend on alternate days.  Neither of these plans explains what is to be done with children when they are not attending school on their scheduled day or time. 
 
Confusion and uncertainty usually lead to fear. As one parent stated, “I don’t want my kid sitting alone in a square on the playground shouting to his friends through a muffled sounding mask….” 
 
Children are often anxious about going back to school in the fall.  The changes and restrictions required at school this fall for their safe return will increase this anxiety, but the question is:  Would returning to school in the fall with all the problems and restrictions be psychologically better for children than staying home and continuing for another year with online education?
 
No one can actually answer that question.  We do not have the experience or knowledge to say exactly how children will react if school reopens. 
 
Most school systems are saying that, even if they return to school in the fall, classroom education will incorporate online or remote learning.  So, we most likely have both problems to deal with. 
 
Students will not be returning to school as it once was. If schools reopen in the fall, school classrooms, by necessity, will be different.
 
As a psychologist, I believe that we will have some children and teens who adapt and cope with the changes.  I also think we will have some children and teens who will not do well with the changes.  The question is, Will we be alert to their needs?  Will we notice when they are struggling?  Will we understand why they are afraid?  How will we help them cope?
 
Each child or teenager is different.  Each student’s fear will be different.  Each problem will need to be handled on an individual basis.  There will be no group solution.
 
I do know that, regardless of whether we returned to school in the fall or whether we continue with online education, we must consider the mental health of our children, teenagers, and teachers.  We have many children and teens suffering from the closure of school this spring.  What have we done about their fears?  So far, nothing.
 
The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) offer some excellent advice.  I’ll summarize the article but encourage you to go and read the entire article: 

• The NASP suggests that parents and teachers become role models.  Children do learn from your example; therefore, how are you handling your fears? 
• The NASP advises to be aware of how you talk about Covid-19.  Yes, it is very important to talk with your child or teenager, but the way you talk with them can either increase their fear or calm their fears.  Be positive.  Remember to listen to what they have to say and then respond with truth.  There are a lot of opinions floating around.  Some are healthy, some are not.  It is always best to share the facts.  Listen to the scientist and the doctors, not the politicians. 
• The NASP says that you need to explain social distancing.  Children do not understand exactly why they should sit 6 feet apart or not touch and play on the playground or not sit at the lunch table sharing and swapping food.  Explain that school will be different for a while.  Ask your child how they feel about these differences.  Let children and teens share their feelings. 
• The NASP encourages everyone to focus on the positive.  Cherish the extra time you have together as a family.  Plan something special.  It doesn’t need to cost money.  
• The NASP says that parents and teachers should identify projects that might help others.  Giving to others has always been one of the healthiest ways to help yourself.  Send positive messages.  Call others on the phone.  Skype with those you haven’t seen for a while.  Plan a project to help others in your community, those in need, those who are struggling.  Helping someone else really will help you. 
• The NASP says that everyone should offer lots of love and affection.  This should be something we do every day.  Regardless of whether we are in the middle of a pandemic or enjoying the happiest of days, we should always share love and affection.  Add it to your daily schedule.  Children and teens particularly need this added love and affection in these stressful times.

  
The third reason that we should consider not opening schools in the fall is the quality of education. 
 
You read the CDC’s list above of what we need to do to safely reopen school in the fall, but can we teach under that much pressure on safety compliance? 
 
Yes, I know there is also a question about the quality of education that has been delivered through on-line education.  So, which is better? 
 
On-line distance learning this spring has not been classified as successful.
 
In their report, The Return: How Should Education Leaders Prepare for Reentry and Beyond? compiled by CHIEFS for Change and the Institute for Education Policy at Johns Hopkins University School of Education, we read that
 
“In the midst of the pandemic, the majority of schools and systems are struggling to provide rigorous, grade-level learning; …. Many students will finish the school year academically behind—some, substantially so. Suggestions abound, from holding all kids back a year, to designating “half-year” status; from summer school in 2020, to an extended school year in 2021.” 
 
 
So, what should we do? 
My own research shows that retaining students doesn’t work [see my blog post from 5-14-20].  Half-year status would create the same problems as retention.  Both of those ideas should be scratched off the list.  Summer school would be extremely hard to pull off this summer and has been proven only to be effective when you have a highly qualified teacher, excellent curriculum, and strong attendance.  Furthermore, many believe that even a “well-crafted” summer school program cannot offset the learning deficits of low-income students this year.  The Return report went on to state that:
 
“Intensive summer programming in 2020 will not compensate for COVID-19 learning losses.” 
 
Extending the school year will require the same restructuring of facilities and schedules as reopening in the fall.  

Extending the school year does not answer such questions as:

• the cost of reopening – making school facilities safe for reopening is going to cost money because schools were not designed to accommodate social distancing – where will the money come from?  
• managing flexible schedules –  school attendance may need to be staggered and distance learning may become a permanent part of the classroom schedule which could mean that parents need to be home part of the time because students will be working at home as well as at school – what do you do with students whose parents must work? 
• smaller class sizes – having small mentoring groups of less than 12, crowded hallways will also be a problem – middle school and high school students may be required to stay in one classroom rather than switching classes – where do you put the extra students? 

 
Therefore, we are back where we started.  We have online education that has not worked for many students this spring during the coronavirus pandemic.  We have reopening plans that seem impossible at best and not financially feasible.  We have parents needing to go to work and students who need to learn.
 
Yet, we must remember that simply sending students back to school will not guarantee that they learn.  Schools were in academic trouble before the pandemic. 

More: Reading scores were worse in 2019 than they were in 2017

Our educational system needs a total overhaul.
 
Will classroom teaching quality be questionable even if we reopen?  Is there any way to help students?
 
As I said above, most schools have stated that their reopening plan will probably include both distance and in-person learning.  Some even suggest that each student, not just the special needs students, will need an individualized educational plan.  This plan will incorporate transportation, learning needs, specific goals for the year, social and emotional supports needed, and a way to coordinate between the home and school schedule.
 
Other educators point out the need for very strong teachers.
 
“Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy, wrote in 2018, ‘The strongest education research finding in the last twenty years is that the quality of a teacher is the single greatest in school determinate of student outcomes.’ A high-quality teacher not only bolsters students’ academic success in the short term, but also their economic productivity and social wellbeing in the long term. ‘High-quality’ means, among other things, holding students to high standards. Research continues to affirm…that teachers matter.” 
  
Having a positive relationship with a teacher can help a student alleviate fears, develop a stronger motivation to learn, feel a sense of satisfaction with how they are learning, while helping to reduce anxiety, disruptive behavior, and anger over the changes that the coronavirus pandemic has brought about.
 
A strong teacher can also make the difference in whether a child learns or does not learn.  Regardless whether students are learning online or in an adjusted classroom in the fall, excellent teaching will be required.  Students also need excellent curriculum.  No more merely sending home a stack of worksheets. We have time this summer, and we need to be getting ready for fall.
As Maryland State Superintendent of Schools Karen Salmon said,
 
“We’re not sure that [school building closure] is not something that we’re going to revisit in the fall or the winter…. I’m really focusing much of our resources on the expansion and accountability wrapped around online learning and distance learning.”
 
Chris Reykdal, Superintendent of Public Instruction for the state of Washington, echoed the same concerns.  
 
“Short of a vaccine, which people continue to tell us is 12 to 18 months away, we have to figure out if it’s safe to come back even in the fall….  I already have to start thinking about how to continue to strengthen our online model, which is gotten exponentially better over the last two weeks but there’s a lot of work to go.”
 
There isn’t one single answer.  There are those who believe we should reopen school in the fall.  There are those who believe we should continue with online education.  There are those who believe we will end up with a combination of the two.
 
What should we do?
 
I believe we should be restructuring our educational program.  We need to improve quality.  We need to improve teaching.  We need to improve our curriculum.  I’m in the middle of writing a list of 20 reasons why reading scores were worse in 2019 than in previous years.  Each of the reasons listed so far explain a problem that we have in our educational system, a problem that is causing reading failure, a problem that we can change by correcting how we teach.  Regardless whether we teach online or in the classroom, we need a new educational approach.
 
I believe we also need to be prepared to teach through online education in the fall.  I do not believe that reopening the schools will work.  We must be ready this time.  We can’t just assume that reopening schools will solve all of our problems.
 
While we wait for decisions to be made, I offer Part 3 of my suggestions for free education resource materials.
 
 
Part 3:  Free Educational Resources
 
I always try to suggest free resources that you may turn to.  This week I’m into reading.  See   Part 1 of this ongoing list on my blog on 5-24-20.  Part 2 of this list may be found on my blog for  6-2-20.  

For me, summer means extra time to read.  I hope that it does for your child or teen as well.  I found an interesting site this week that includes stories for multiple ages. 

I particularly like this one about the raindrop, entitled Do What You Can.  
 
If you do not find a story that your child can read to you, remember, it is wonderful to sit down and read to your child.  Spending time together is the best gift you can ever give to any child or teenager.  Yes, teenagers still need time and love as well.
 
Here’s also a story written by a child. You might use this story to encourage your own child to write about a personal incident or to create a fictional story.  Sometimes writing about problems can be the best therapy.  Encourage your child or teen to write or to just talk about their concerns, their fears, or times when they have felt that no one cared.  This week has been a truly difficult week.  Families need to talk, need to share, need to show that they care for one another and those around them. 

If you are looking for something special to teach today, look no further.  Today, June 8, 2020, is World Oceans Day.  Talk about how important it is to protect the ocean.
Some fun web sites to explore:

1. NASA offers a fabulous site that talks about oceans throughout the universe.    It’s very interactive, even small children will enjoy this.  
2. Mr. Trash Wheel is a big hit.   Also, if you did not use it earlier, there is a wonderful story on Scholastic about Mr. Trash Wheel.
3. There’s also Fred. 
4. Have children design their own trash collector.  Here’s another suggestion.  

While looking for good educational ideas, I stumbled across another problem:  worksheets.  Everywhere you look, more and more free worksheets appear, and yes, this is a problem in the classroom and for online teaching because worksheets do not help students learn. Hands-on projects like the one on the left lead to better teaching and learning. 

• Worksheets do not teach.  Worksheets (the question-answer or paper pencil type activity) are just busy work, or as one author so eloquently stated,  “They’re easy.  They’re painless.  They require little lesson planning.”  

 

• Worksheets do not encourage students to learn.  If a worksheet is too easy, the student learns nothing and becomes bored.  If the student does not know the material covered by the worksheet, the student is either practicing mistakes or becoming more and more frustrated until eventually giving up.  Frustration over a worksheet can actually reduce a student’s motivation for learning.  A simple set of directions at the top of the page is not the same as teaching a concept. 

 

• Worksheets do not lead to long-term meaningful learning.  A student achieves meaningful learning  when information is completely understood.  That is not the same as mere memorization. Worksheets do not promote meaningful learning. “The mere accomplishment of the worksheet task does not signify the child’s ability to read or comprehend.”  Even when a student can complete a worksheet correctly, it still doesn’t guarantee that the student has learned the concept being taught.

 

• Worksheets only test rote memory.  Worksheets do not encourage critical thinking or creativity, and they do not connect with real life experiences.  “Rote memory allows for memorization of base information, but it doesn’t put that information into any sort of context. The lack of context for complex subjects mean that the student has not learned anything about what they are studying.”  

 
As one 20-year teacher said,  “Our goal as professional educators should be lessons that encourage divergent thinking [complex, higher order analysis, critical thinking], not convergent thinking [just learning facts or memorizing].

So, Why Do We Have So Many Worksheets?
Because they’re easy to use and require very little effort.  Let’s be honest.  With the mere click of a button, you can find hundreds and thousands of worksheets.  There are worksheets on almost every topic.  There are worksheets for every age level. 
 
Is that what we want for our students? 
 
I certainly do not, and I will go one step further.  Worksheets have also contributed to academic failure, especially reading failure.  Remember, the Nation’s Report Card reported that reading scores in 2019 were worse than scores in 2017.  That means that more students were struggling or failing in reading in 2019 than in 2017. [see my 10-31-19 blog post]  As we continue to explore the 20 reasons why those scores were lower in 2019, I contend that the overuse of worksheets in the classroom is one of those reasons.
 
Another way of stating the problem:
 
“Imagine you’re taking a test in history class. To prepare, you look at your notes and re-read your textbook. You take the exam and get a decent score. Great!  But what happens if you take that same exam without revision in 6 months? A year? You’ll likely get a much lower score.  That’s because you didn’t really learn that material. You memorized it for a single purpose and have since forgotten.

"Retaining information can be a struggle, and not just over long periods of time as described above. You can be taught something and forget it almost immediately if it doesn’t sink in.  Hands-on learning is proven to be more effective at helping students grasp what they’re taught.” 
 
What is hands-on learning?  Hands-on learning is a teaching method that directly involves the student by actively encouraging the student to “learn-by-doing.”  Hands-on learning is better than the “hands-off” learning approach.

• “Hands-off” means to give students a problem, and they must figure out how to work out the solution to that problem without help.
• “Hands-on” incorporates the principles of what’s being taught (usually by a teacher but not through lecture) with participation in activities that teach and reinforce the principles being taught.

 
Hands-on-Learning Encourages Application to the Real-World
For example, I use hands-on learning in all of my reading programs. At the Reading Orienteering Club, information is taught at every single workstation.  Every workstation teaches: 

(1) information on a theme—for example, the history of spaceflight,  (2) a counseling principal—for example, how to work together as a cooperative team, not a competitive one, and (3) vowel clustering—whichever vowel sound is being studied for that day.  I call these:  “Start with Teamwork, Follow the Word Clues, Take Action, and Are You Ready for a Challenge?” Each section provides information to be taught in an intrinsically motivating, hands-on way.  Students must not only learn the concept being taught, but they must also learn to follow step-by-step directions to complete a hands-on project, and at the end they must come together as a cooperative group to present a group program on the concept that was taught—usually a make-believe TV puppet show.  Completing a hands-on project (puppet) or make-believe TV show gives students an intrinsically motivating sense of achievement.  Success really is contagious, and learning can be fun.  Hands-on learning is also a more effective way to teach: “Hands-on learning is proven to be more effective at helping students grasp what they’re taught. There’s no shortage of studies that show hands-on learning has a significant impact:”
 
“One study compared test scores of 8th graders who were lectured about water quality with students who built a water purification device. The students who went through active learning saw much higher test scores and improvement rates.”  

• “Another study found that students who didn’t engage in hands-on learning were 1.5 times more likely to fail a course than students who did.”  

 

• “Hands-on learning better engages both sides of the brain.” 

 

• “Listening and analyzing processes occur in the left hemisphere, but visual and spatial processes are handled on the right. By combining multiple styles of learning, the brain forms stronger overall connections and is able to store more relevant information.” 

 

• “Brain scans also show increased activity in sensory and motor-related areas of the brain when thinking about concepts they had hands-on experience with.  Being able to touch and see something is simply more powerful than only reading about it.” 

 
Can We Use Hands-On Teaching with Online Instruction or Social Distancing?
 
I believe we can, but with the schools closed and the on-line teaching reports from this spring showing dismal results, we certainly need to improve.  To be fair, some teachers and schools have been successful this spring, but, then, to be truthful, some have not.
 
In a 2020 special report on education during the coronavirus lockdown, Class Tag reported:  

“68.8% of teachers relied on worksheets and/or prepared written study packets”
“49.9% did not use any form of live video streaming or had any plans to”
“only 12.7% said that they would use a live video lesson or streaming [in the future].”
  
The response from parent groups is not much better.
 
When the survey responses from parents with a household income of less than $25,000 a year were compared with households of $100,000 a year, the effectiveness of online remote learning this spring was very different.  For example: 

• “Parents from low-income homes are ten times more likely to say their kids are doing little or no remote learning (once a week or less) (38% vs. 3.7%)” 

 

• “Kids from low-income homes are three times more likely not to have consistent access to a device (32% vs 10%) and five times more likely to go to a school not offering distance learning materials or activities at all (11% vs 2%).”

 

• “Parents from low income homes are twice as likely to say remote learning is going poorly or very poorly (36% vs. 18%) and are more likely to say their kid’s work is mostly or entirely busy work (35% vs. 19%).”

 
Hands-on teaching techniques were not being used in the school districts surveyed by these studies.  Worksheets, even the cut and paste type worksheets, are not a hands-on teaching technique.
 
We do know that creative hands-on teaching has been used successfully in the classroom.  Many studies clearly show that hands-on teaching techniques have made “a significant impact:”

My reading clinics have proven this as well.  See the research data in my latest book:  Afterschool Programming and Intrinsic Motivation (2019).
 
The question is, can hands-on teaching techniques be used in a classroom that is practicing social distancing?  Or with on-line education? 
 
Let’s look at the classroom first, but before we answer that question, let us take a look at what classrooms may be like in the fall if schools reopen. The Los Angeles County schools published a document outlining a plan for safely reopening their schools following the necessity of social distancing.  This is only one example, but it was the only published plan that I could locate.  I’m sure more will become available soon.  They decided:

• They would need to abandon the long-held traditions of playtime, socialization, and hands-on support.
• This would in effect mean no science labs, no team sports, no recess, and no group work.
• They were not at all sure how they would keep kindergartners or other young students 6 feet apart.
• They also weren’t sure how to get students to wear masks all day.  And how do you keep students from “fiddling with or taking the mask off.”  Another question, was what to do if a child comes to school without a mask or refuses to wear a mask?
• It was decided that students would remain in the classroom for lunch and eat at their desks—which are, naturally, spaced 6 feet apart.
• All desks must be 6 feet apart and facing the same direction, no groups or desks facing each other or pushed together, no table time, or carpet areas. 
• Hallway traffic would be designated as only one-way at certain intervals in order to avoid contact.
• Class sizes must be cut.  Maybe some students could come to school in the morning and then others in the afternoon.  The question of what to do with students only attending school for half the day was never resolved.
• Classroom libraries and books would be impossible to sanitize each day and therefore must be packed away.
• School library time would be closed for the same reason.
• The school would have to purchase each student’s personal equipment—masks, crayons, pencils, paper, or whatever is needed for that age level.

 
The report made going back to school in the fall sound rather bleak.  On May 20, 2020, USA Today reported that 60% of K-12 parents surveyed said that they did not plan to send their children back to public school in the fall.  Most said that they would be looking into “at-home learning options.”  Even 20% of teachers surveyed said that they do not plan to return to the classroom in the fall, not under the present conditions. 
 
Hands-on learning does not seem to have much chance.  I’m not sure learning of any kind will have much of a chance.
 
The Los Angeles group even admitted that “the diminishing of play, lunch table chatter, and personal contact could hurt students if such measures continue in the long term.” 
 
I foresee a mountain of worksheets, with teachers saying, "what else am I to do?"  Keep in mind that worksheets can be just as easily assigned through a student’s personal school computer as they can by passing out a piece of paper.  As one teacher said, “They thought they had taken worksheets away when they limited copier paper, but then, they gave each student a computer.  It’s even easier now.”
 
Learning is doomed if worksheets prevail. Yet, I do see the problems.
 
As a matter of fact, my Reading Orienteering Club after-school program will remain closed in the fall because I do not think it is safe for children to come back into a classroom group program.  Furthermore, my program would also not be as effective without hands-on learning.  Therefore, I am looking for other options.  I’m working this summer to develop an on-line program.
 
What about online instruction?  Is it possible to use hands-on teaching techniques with on-line instruction? 
Some teachers are saying that, with online instruction, we do not have any option other than to use worksheets, but remember, children do not learn from worksheets. 
 
Are worksheets the only option for online instruction? 
I say, no.  Let me offer an example.
 
If ever there was a time that we as teachers, parents, and psychologists need to teach kindness, thinking of the needs of others, equality, being nonjudgmental, justice for everyone, saying nice words about others instead of name calling, it is now. We need to find a positive, forward-thinking educational lesson, and there is one just waiting to be taught.  It’s an event that can easily be taught through online education.  It’s an event that can be taught without worksheets.  It can even utilize hands-on learning techniques. It’s an event that’s free.  It’s an event that can teach reading, spelling, writing, history, science, and even math.  It’s an event that will forever be part of the history of 2020, and today’s students are living participants of this historical event.  The event that I speak of is the launch that took place on May 30, 2020 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.  Yes, this one historical event can give you a weeks’ worth of lessons on cooperation, being kind, helpful, saying thank you, and giving others credit instead of trying to claim the glory for yourself.  These are lessons that we should be teaching right alongside reading, writing, and math.
 
Let’s start with reading.

1. You’ll want to view the historic launch of May 30, 2020.  
2. Next, add some background material for older readers.  I selected this site because it is well written and fun to read.  Children and teens will be encouraged to read and learn.  The reporter actually checked the facts.  Note, that it was written before the failed May 27th scrubbed mission, but it takes this into account.  This allows you to explain some of the complexities of space flight. 
3.  I then have my older students be the reporter.  They write their own TV report on the launch.  They may even want to rewatch the video.  They may write a short paragraph or a longer report-- depending on their age.  At this point you have supplied visual information from the video, written information to be read, writing practice, and a check on comprehension and accuracy of facts.  You accomplished reading writing and comprehension without one single worksheet.  You may even be able to work spelling and vocabulary into the lesson as well.
4.  You can extend the hands-on techniques by videotaping the student’s TV report.  The student can practice reading the TV report which is the best way to improve fluency, and you can edit the written TV report which allows you to teach grammatical sentence structure.  So far, you have taught history, a bit of science if you go into details on the rocket, reading, writing, comprehension, and reading fluency. 
5.  If you are working with only younger children, add a video summary of your own.  Then, have children make the Falcon 9 rocket sitting on the launch pad.  It’s simple: 

 

• Wrap a sheet of white paper around a paper towel tube, empty water bottle, or even tissue holders.  If you are using 3 tissue holders, you will need to tape or glue them together before adding the paper.
• Wad a piece of aluminum foil into a round ball, preferably a clean piece ready for recycling.
• Place a thick circle of glue in the middle of a sheet of white copier paper.  Place foil in the middle of the glue.  Shape paper around the foil to make the rounded nose cone.  [see picture at top of page]
• Glue rounded nose cone on top of the paper towel tube rocket.
• Add streamers for fire.  Even the youngest children can replay the launch countdown. 

 
I also include a pop-up version, but pop-ups take more space, patterns, and explanation than this blog post allows.  The student’s pop-up book also covers each stage from launch to recovery.  This picture illustrates the return of the Falcon 9 to earth. 

Now you’re ready to be creative.  You can expand the lesson in many directions.  One totally hands-on site from NASA allows you to teach and reinforce what you are teaching through hands-on learning.  Everything is done for you, even step-by-step directions.  Pick a topic.  Go teach.  No, you do not need worksheets.
 
Another site breaks the teaching material into age groups.  if you are not sure what is appropriate for the age of your student, this site does it for you.  Yes, it’s hands-on.
 
Depending where your interest or lesson is going, this site tells how to build a satellite or a rover that actually moves.  Think of the science and history you can teach.  Yes, we really can teach without worksheets.  
 
There are hands-on resources that are easily accessible about earth, the atmosphere, climate, or even how we can improve the air we breathe.  There is also a Junior Ranger program celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo program.  Everything is right at your fingertips.  There’s even a wonderful interactive site about climate and weather. 
 
Maybe you are not as excited about outer space as I am.  If your interest does not lie in outer space, here are a few sources you might check out as well:
 
Part 2 of my suggestions for free education resource materials
If you are able to get outside and go for a hike, this is a wonderful guide on what to do while you’re practicing social distancing and soaking up a little sunshine. 

 There are more virtual tours.   Check these out. 

1. Some are repeats but look at the “Lion King” and “National Parks.”  These are totally new and very exciting.  
2. This salt mine is certainly interesting. You can have students write a story pretending they are visiting in the salt mine. Be creative. It can be a mystery or an adventure story.  You can teach writing and sentence construction as easily with fiction as you can with nonfiction. 
3. Do a tour of the states.  Pick one location and research it.  Then write up a travel report. 
4. Don’t forget volcanoes, you can teach science, history, and language arts by exploring volcanoes.   
5. BrainPOP offers an excellent lesson on birds. 
6. If you have not explored the live stream presentations from Monticello, I highly recommend them, especially the ones featuring the actor speaking for Thomas Jefferson. 
   
   

Earlier Post, Part I:  Free High-Quality Teaching Resources  (click link and scroll down)
 
There’s lots to explore, and many ways to teach using hands on learning. Use Schoology as I recommended in my last blog post  It’s free.  This will make it easy for children to link onto the websites that you want them to use.
 
Regardless whether we send children back to school to sit 6 feet apart and work individually on their school computers or teach children from home, we can incorporate hands-on learning.  We do not need to resort to worksheets.  We can also use hands-on teaching techniques with on-line learning. Our children deserve the best that we can give them.

The simple rocket on the left was made from paper and is covered with space-related spelling words. My grandson made a rocket from the same homemade pattern while he was learning about science as we worked together on Skype. 

From the White House to the streets, some people are clamoring to just reopen everything.  Regardless how many cities and states are still showing that new coronavirus cases are soaring upward, some yell, “reopen anyway.”  Others ignore the fact that people are still dying.  Many turn a blind eye to the statistical data-driven predictions of a returning second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.  Yes, some areas are showing mild improvement, but many are not.  Honestly, no one can predict exactly what will happen if we reopen or even what is the best path to take toward reopening.  Unfortunately, closing our eyes and pretending that the coronavirus has gone away isn’t our smartest decision.
 
Caught in the middle of this panic-stricken approach to overcoming the coronavirus pandemic lie our children and our public school system.  As the end of the school year draws near, school officials, teachers, parents, and even students are asking: What should we do in the fall?
 
There are almost as many responses as there are people asking the question.  Some of the responses are intelligent.  Some are just plain foolish and dangerous.  I am not swayed by the noise from the streets or the whims of vote-hungry politicians. 
 
In education, we consider it essential to teach critical thinking skills to students.  Critical thinking is defined as analyzing facts and statements to make the best decision or find the best solution to a problem. We need critical thinking skills every day of our life.  We desperately need to apply our critical thinking skills right now.  We should be using critical thinking to make good decisions, to understand the consequences of those decisions, and to solve our coronavirus problems. 
 
Are we using critical thinking during the coronavirus pandemic? 

No, our decisions are being driven by those who yell the loudest.

I am a psychologist.  My doctoral degree is in educational psychology, counseling.  I specialize in group- centered prevention for children and teens.  I began focusing on reading failure because of the psychological damage and mental health issues that arose with children and teens who failed to learn to read in school.  So, from me, you will always get a scientific, data-driven response.  Science is not perfect, but I believe that if we listen to scientists, evaluate what they say, and analyze the implications of research for our life, we will have a healthier and better lifestyle for all.  In short, we should make our decisions in the school system based on critical thinking.
 
As I read the research data, it is telling us that it is not safe to reopen schools in the fall.  Why?  I’ll highlight three main reasons:  (1) coronavirus is dangerous even for children, (2) social distancing and safe coronavirus health practices are not possible with children and teens in our present school settings, and (3) keeping schools closed will help reduce the spread of coronavirus across the nation.

• Coronavirus is dangerous for children.  It was once believed that children were not as severely affected by coronavirus as adults.  Yet, every day we are seeing more and more cases of children being severely affected by coronavirus; some even dying from coronavirus complications. There have been 161 reported cases of this mysterious link with coronavirus just in New York. Documented cases have been reported in New York, Colorado, Indiana, and Florida.  Is our desperation to reopen worth risking our children’s lives?
  
  
• Social distancing and safe coronavirus health practices are not possible with children and teens in our present school settings.  If you work in the schools and have seen school buses transport children, please tell me how you are going to practice social distancing on school buses.  Not all parents can drive their children to school every day.  Most buses are stuffed end to end, and with today’s economy, schools certainly do not have the money to go out and buy more school buses.  The truth is that it’s not possible to practice social distancing on a school bus, a playground, the gym locker room, or even the school cafeteria.  I’m not even sure teachers can manage in the classroom. Yes, school buses, playgrounds, restrooms, and cafeterias (and let’s not forget the classroom) must all be made safe and must practice social distancing if we are to start school back in the fall.  So, what happens if we just ignore social distancing at school? Here's what one major study found out: 

 

• “The study, published in the journal Health Affairs, looked at the policies mandating social distancing, and found that the longer a measure was in effect the slower the daily growth rate of covid-19, ….  For social distancing policies that lasted at least 16 to 20 days, the daily rate of infection dropped by more than 9 percentage points, according to the study. Policies lasting 15 days and less also saw declines in the daily infection rate, researchers found. Such social distancing measures, mandated by 95 percent of the country, include shelter-in-place orders, school closures, bans on large events and the closure of gyms, bars and restaurants.…  Places with no social distancing orders were at substantially higher risk for infection."

 
So, ignoring social distancing is like saying, “Yes, I want coronavirus to spread.”  Is that what we really want?  Do we really want to ignore the dangers of removing social distancing from our schools, our communities, and our daily lives?  True social distancing in schools is impossible under our present educational system.  To open the doors and send children back to school without effective social distancing is just inviting more children and adults to become sick and possibly even die.

• Also, “…if nobody followed these (social distancing) guidelines at all, the number of new infections would continue to rise exponentially, with the number of infected people doubling every few days.  That’s the absolute worst-case scenario, where nobody changes their behavior at all.” 
• Keeping schools closed will help reduce the spread of coronavirus.  So, if social
• distancing at school is just not practical or achievable and if coronavirus is in fact dangerous for children as well as adults and if we know that to reopen the schools will increase the risk of coronavirus continuing and spreading across the nation, then why are we doing it?

 
As Science Magazine points out, “Proactive school closures -- closing schools before there is a case there-- have been shown to be one of the most powerful non-pharmaceutical interventions that we can deploy.” 
 
Yes, if you turn to the Internet, you can find many people saying that opening the schools is not a threat nor will it increase the coronavirus.  However, you can find anything on the Internet.  Even savvy four-year-olds have been known to add ideas onto the Internet.  Check and evaluate the sources.  I give links for all my sources so that you can read and check the information.  I will never ask you just to take my word for something.  Think. Analyze. Use your critical thinking skills.
 
From me, you will receive the best scientific information I can find.  I do not listen to politicians, but I do understand the desperation to reopen the schools so that the schools may provide free childcare for those who need to go back to work.  Yet, if it only prolongs the duration or increases the severity of coronavirus, then opening the schools is not a good solution for us as a nation.
 
I have presented the best scientific research I can find in order to enable us to use our critical thinking skills so that we may make intelligent decisions.  Therefore, should we open schools this fall?  I think the answer needs to be, no.  So, what are we to do?  We must look at alternatives to reopening schools.  This is just as businesspeople who can successfully work from home during the pandemic should work from home.  All students who can successfully learn from home should do so as well.  Yes, I know that we will need to make some special provisions for children whose parents must go to work, but, if we can reduce the spread of coronavirus by using online education techniques rather than opening the schools, I believe we should do so in the fall.  This summer, we have time to plan and organize an online approach.

In psychology, one of our main goals is always to help children, teens, and families have a healthier, happier, and more productive life.  I plan to spend my summer exploring Internet opportunities and options.  I plan to pursue two areas of research:
 
What can parents do to help their children prepare for whatever form of schooling is offered in the fall?
  
What is the best way to teach our children this fall?
 
What can I do this summer to help my child be ready for the fall?

As promised, I’ve been compiling a list of online resources.  I only recommend resources that I have been able to check and/or that I have used.  You need to be careful.  There’s lots of bad information on the Internet as well as lots of good information. 
 
When I decided to embark upon compiling a list of free high-quality teaching resources, I did not realize that it would be such a daunting task.  I very naïvely thought that I could just look up some topics and find good teaching material.  Wrong.  Yes, I can find lots and lots of material, but I was looking for high-quality, effective teaching material.  That turned out to be a totally different task.  Today I will offer Part I of my list, and I promise to add to it as I find new material. 
 
Part I:  Free High-Quality Teaching Resources   

• Start with an organizational system:  If you have not explored Schoology, I suggest you begin with their free site for parents, students, and teachers.  It is a wonderful way to organize your lessons, even for teaching from home.  Students can go on the site and easily follow the lessons you have organized. 
• I sent my first two suggestions for online resources in my blog post of 3-3-202:  Scholastic magazine and National Geographic videos.   Those are still two of my highest recommendations.  Yes, Scholastic only offers four weeks for free, but if you have not taken advantage of those four weeks of material, I highly suggest you do so.  They are wonderful.  No one beats National Geographic for videos and for research material about animals and nature. 
• Another free resource that I find very useful is BrainPOP. This learning resource is normally not free, but because of the coronavirus pandemic, they are extending this resource to parents at home.  It is excellent and interesting.  It offers both easy and advanced learning videos, interactive quizzes, and all types of hands on learning extensions.  If you are working with your child at home or if you are a teacher sending lessons home, this resource is a must.
• NASA is a terrific resource for the classroom and for parents at home, and, in case you haven’t heard, we are just in time for the first launch by SpaceX.  They are promising full coverage of the launch.  It will be the first launch of astronauts from American soil in nine years.  Don’t miss it.  There’s also lots of material that parents can use, and NASA's videos are exciting history to explore.   Children love to make paper rockets, and they are so easy to make.  Just wrap paper around an empty water bottle or paper towel tube, then decorate. 
• I do not often recommend online zoos because their websites are not always easy to navigate.  However, the San Diego Zoo offers an exciting and interactive website.  Make sure your children check out the stories and special videos, especially the cheetah track.  I particularly enjoyed learning about the rescued animals.  You can do all kinds of activities about animals from the information children can obtain from the videos and stories on this site.  

​As we near the end of what would have been another school year, the age-old question of grade retention arises.  A parent has asked, “Should my child be retained?  I know he’s struggling.”  My personal response is never.  I am also equally opposed to simply “socially promoting” students on to the next grade.  Neither method works.  Research has shown both methods to be complete failures.
So, what should we do?  Many students have fallen behind during the coronavirus pandemic.  Should these students be retained?  No! 

Megan Andrew, a sociologist from the University of Notre Dame, conducted a study, where she found that students who were retained a grade in between kindergarten and 5th grade were 60% less likely to graduate from high school than those who had similar grades but were not retained.  One of the unique features of this study is that she compared the students who were retained with the students who were also failing but not retained.  She studied more than 37,000 students across the United States and matched students of similar family backgrounds, IQs, and cognitive skills.

We have over 40 years of research showing the harms of retention.  Researchers have stated:  

• "Most children do not 'catch up' when held back.
• "Although some retained students do better at first, these children often fall behind again in later grades.
• "Retention is one of the most powerful predictors of high school dropout; holding a child back twice makes dropping out of school 90% certain."

The researchers went on to say,

“The most notable academic deficit for retained students is in reading…. Students who are unprepared in reading have a 15% chance of succeeding in math and a 1% chance of succeeding in science, while students who are good readers have a 67% chance of succeeding in math and a 32% chance in science.”  

So, what should we do?  Focus on reading.  Focus on teaching reading correctly, using a teaching method that actually works.  We have 8 years of research showing that vowel clustering works with students who failed with phonics and balanced literacy. 
Don’t retain students.  Teach them to read instead.

It’s No Wonder Our Children Cannot Learn to Read with Phonics!  As I went looking for resources, I was astounded at the mountains of inaccurate information that I found on the internet. I know that I promised you a blog about free resources that you could use to teach children while they are at home.  I’m working on it.  I will keep my promise, but I ran into some resources that, I am sorry to say, help us see what is wrong with phonics education.  They also help to show us why reading scores all worse in 2019 and why so many children cannot read across the nation.

As I have mentioned earlier in earlier blog posts, a big problem with phonics is that the rules have so many exceptions the children get confused.  Confusion leads to reading failure. Let’s look at an example.  One seemingly popular phonics internet site says:  “a in ago should say long a for an open syllable, but it is a schwa.”

Yes, letter a is using the schwa sound, but the reasoning in this statement is wrong.  There are words that start with the letter a that use the long a vowel sound:  able, acorn, apron—just to list a few.  There are also words that start with the letter a that do not use the long a vowel sound: ago, among, around, away—again just to mention a few.  Regardless of the phonics rule, the word ago does not use the long a vowel sound, and there is absolutely no reason to assume that it should.  There are plenty of words that start with the letter a that do not use the long a vowel sound.  So, why would a phonics educator think that the word ago would use a long a vowel sound?  

Because they do not understand the rules that they are trying to teach and because the phonics rules are not consistent. This is why it doesn’t work to try and rely on phonics rules.  
Some researchers have counted the number of times phonics rules do not work and have found phonics rules are accurate only 60% of the time.  What should children do the other 40% of the time?  [Check my blog post from 10-26-19 for more data showing how unreliable phonics rules are.]

When the phonics rules have all of these exceptions, it is easy to see how even teachers and resource writers can get confused.  You must be careful when taking worksheets, informational videos, or any other information off the internet--even if you are paying for it.  Just because someone charges a fee, doesn’t mean the material that they are selling you is accurate.  Don’t teach mistakes or incorrect information.  Inaccurate information also leads to reading failure. 

I’ve worked with many students at my reading clinic who were sent to me because they were failing in reading, when their only problem was that they had been taught incorrectly.  They had memorized phonics rules, but the rules were inconsistent.  Therefore, they had become confused.  Confusion leads to failure.

Look in a dictionary or use the dictionary on your computer.  Check to make sure that what you are purchasing or even using for free is accurate.

There are actually 7 different sounds for the letter a.  The schwa sound is not an exception; it is just one of the 7 sounds.
Caption:  There are actually 7 different sounds for the letter a.  The schwa sound is not an exception; it is just one of the 7 sounds.
​

The chant is growing louder, heard from the streets and all the way to the White House—“Send the children back to school.”  If we stop and think, truly analyze what is best for our children? Sending the children back to school right now is not in the best interest of our children.  Yes, it would provide free childcare, but is it safe?  No.  Absolutely no one, except for a few parents marching up and down the street without masks, contends that the best health solution for our children is to send them back to school.  Again, I’m a psychologist; I read what the scientists are saying, not the politicians.

• “…public health experts believe social distancing is the best way to prevent a truly horrific crisis….” ​David Fisman, infectious disease epidemiologist, states that it is not true that children do not get COVID-19.  He clarifies that the “Chinese data suggest that kids get the infection about as often as adults….” He then goes on to explain that “… given the eagerness with which they [children] share their germs, they could still be important infection spreaders.”  


• Epidemiologist Adam Kucharski, author of The Rules of Contagion: Why Things Spread—and Why They Stop, is saying that the threat from children to adults should “cause us to worry.” 

Therefore, can we truly say that it is safe to open schools-- for the children… for the teachers … for the families who the children go home to each afternoon?  No, we cannot.

So, what are we to do? 
As some have pointed out, we were not doing the absolute very best job of educating children across the nation before the coronavirus pandemic; therefore, this may be an opportunity for us to rebuild our educational system.  Remember, as I stated in my 10-31-19 blog post, reading scores were worse in 2019 than they were in 2017.  Yes, children in the fourth grade dropped from 37% in 2017 to 35% in proficiency in 2019—this is with an emphasis on common core standards, balanced literacy, and phonics.  Students in eighth grade dropped from 36% in 2017 to 34% in eighth grade. Be careful.  This does not mean that only 35% could not read.  No, it means that only 35% could read at the 4th grade level.  That leaves over half of the remaining 4th graders across the nation struggling or failing in reading at the fourth-grade level.  The same is true for eighth graders; over half of the students were struggling or failing.  Read the report correctly.  Yes, it’s misleading. See the Nation's Report Card for details. 

Our schools are failing and have been for a very long time.  So, simply returning children to the classroom will not solve reading failure.  Why?  Experts say, it is because of the way we teach reading in the classroom [see my blog post from 2-14-20, #4, for research facts].  If you are interested in the entire series on why the 2019 scores are worse than 2017, check out my blog posts from 1-5-20, 1-18-20.

So, even if we send children back to the classroom and risk the threat of coronavirus spreading, we are not necessarily improving education for students across the nation.  No, education still receives a failing grade.

Again, I will ask, what are we to do? 
You may be saying, “I’ve heard that phonics is the answer.”  Unfortunately, phonics is not the answer.  Phonics is part of the reason we have so many children failing in reading today.  Read the research, all of the research.  Yes, there are those who are still out there selling phonics, but phonics is not helping our students read better.  Yes, some children do better with phonics than they did with whole language.  That is true, but phonics still leaves many students failing.  Read the test scores.  The 2017 and 2019 scores on the Nation’s Report Card show that over half of the nation’s fourth and eighth grade students were unable to read at their designated age level, both in 2017 and in 2019.  The school pushed phonics in the 2018-2019 school year.  Phonics is not the answer.  For more research on why phonics fails, read my blog post of 10-26-19.

So, if phonics is not the answer and it is dangerous to send children back to the classroom, should we look for other alternatives?  Yes, I think that we should. 

I think for this spring, this summer, and in the fall, we should emphasize and develop an effective online educational program.  No, I’m not saying that we should take education online permanently.  I still very strongly believe in the group approach for teaching, especially hands-on teaching techniques, but I also see the health dangers that we face today and therefore I think that at this time we must do something different than simply giving up and stuffing children back into classrooms.

How?  That will be the subject of my next blog post, and I welcome any online educational experts to weigh in on the subject.

My most recent book contains more research data to show that vowel clustering works better than phonics. 

“Help!” was the word I kept hearing over and over this week when I talked to the parents of several of my former students. 
 
“Please help, he’s totally lost.  The worksheets arrive on the computer screen with absolutely no instructions.  I don’t know what to do.”
 
“Can you help?  She did so well in your program, but now, she just sits and cries.”
 
“You have to find a way to help; we can’t go on like this.  They send so many worksheets that it takes him all day and part of the night to finish.”
 
Teachers, parents, and students are completely and totally frustrated trying to do online education, but, as we discussed in my last blog post, simply opening the schools, rolling out the school buses, and packing the students back into the classrooms during a pandemic is not the best answer.  So, what can we do?
 
Like everything else, my reading clinic is closed because of the coronavirus.  The safety of our children always comes first.  I am presently developing an online program for this summer.  It’s not easy.  First, we are a volunteer organization on a very limited budget.  Second, I run a group-centered program that emphasizes both learning and counseling.  How do I put that online?  That’s also the question many teachers are asking.
 
How do I teach my students online?  The answer is not by attaching as many worksheets as possible to the school computers.  Yes, as I’ve said before and will say again, there are many teachers out there who are doing a phenomenal job, very creative and totally engaging their students in the learning process.  Unfortunately, there are also many teachers out there who are simply attaching one or two worksheets each week and saying to themselves, “that will do.”
 
No, it will not do.  It is not safe to send students back to school, so how can we help teachers do a better job of teaching online?  Yes, there is a difference between teaching online and simply putting worksheets on-screen.
 
Professor Andy Hargreaves at Boston College stated that the important thing is “keeping kids engaged with learning and the idea of learning.”  Professor Hargreaves gives 19 suggestions.  Let’s look at some of his ideas:
 
“Don’t send parents heaps of worksheets.”
 
Yes, some teachers are just stuffing one worksheet after another worksheet on the school computer and sending it home to the students.  Often, teachers do not even explain how to complete the worksheet.  These “on-screen teachers,” as Hargreaves labels them, rarely, if ever, send videos or instructional information home to the students.  The student just gets a pile of worksheets.  The only difference is that instead of photocopying the worksheets for the classroom, the teachers are placing them on-screen.  Sorry, I do not classify that as teaching.  We must do better.
 
Look at this time of homeschooling as an “opportunity for learning, not an interruption.”  
 
In other words, be positive.  This message goes for teachers, parents, and even students—even for grandparents, I know I am working hard to create exciting, engaging lessons for my grandson, but I am also looking at the four hours a day that I am teaching him as a gift.  I know that I do not get this opportunity all the time.  I want to make the best of this time, and as a psychologist, I want to support his mental health as well as his education.  Children and teens are sad.  This time of quarantine has been hard on them.  Yes, it has been hard on parents and teachers as well, but we must remember every day to reach out and try to brighten the world of any and all students that we have the opportunity to teach and work with.
 
Each day we should try to help students “learn a new skill.” 
 
This suggestion is particularly appropriate.  Imagine what would happen if teachers sat down each week to prepare their online lessons, asking themselves—"What new skill can I teach my students this week?”  The same can be said of students.  What if they turned on the computer on Monday morning asking, “I wonder what new skill we’ll be learning this week?”  Wow! What a different approach to education. 
 
I have the children make pop-up books at my reading clinic, and I have introduced making pop-up books to my grandson.  We are on to our second pop-up book.  Recently, I’ve been using pop-up books to teach science lessons. I showed pictures of our coral reef pop-up book earlier.  Our next plans are to make a pop-up outer space book,  If pop-up books are a little more than you want to tackle, try something simpler.  
 
Even young children can make a picture book.  Staple several pages of paper together.  Have the child think of a story that they want to tell.  Then, they may color a picture for each step in telling the story.  Once they have finished the pictures, you can sit down with the child and help them write their story, or you can write the story for very young children. 
 
With a video or Skype lesson, children can make all kinds of projects at home.  Make them new, different, and hands-on.  Research tells us that hands-on learning is the absolute very best way to teach students of any age. 

To create a simple pop-up book like the ones above, children need to follow directions. They can write their stories, or facts they learned in their lessons, inside the books. This makes learning enjoyable and creates intrinsic motivation for them to continue their education.

See my previous post, "Should Schools Be Reopened?"

The battle lines have been drawn.  Protesters have taken to the streets.  Parents are even lining their children up along sidewalks—without masks--giving them cardboard signs that read, “Education is my Right,”  “Open up the zoo,” “I miss my friends.” 
 
Such fanaticism makes me wonder if our concern is about education, or do we just want to get the children out of the house and return to free child care?  Perhaps I am misreading these signs and the primary concern really is the quality of education that our children are receiving. 
 
What should we do?  Is reopening the schools safe?  That is the debate at present.  Some say yes, reopen schools; there are not that many children dying from the virus so it would be okay to reopen schools.  Just send students back to school. However, Professor Neil Ferguson, from Imperial College in London who worked on the scientific modelling in England, advised the government there not to reopen because, as he stated, school closings play an important role in helping the entire country recover.  As Professor Ferguson stated:
 
“When combined with intense social distancing it [school closing] plays an important role in severing remaining contacts between households and thus ensuring transmission declines.” 
 
And yet, here in the U. S., we are still debating what to do.  It has been estimated that one-fourth of our school children do not have adequate internet access. Surveys are showing that some families only have Internet access through their cell phones.  Other families simply do not have high speed Internet access.
 
What can be done to help our children, today? 
 
Let’s turn to an experimental research project being conducted at the International School of Monza.  In this program, students and teachers create short videos to share, do video conferencing, and group work—all from home.  They:

• learn basic skills and knowledge at home from videos.
• come together online to evaluate, analyze, and work in groups.
• use “real-time feedback” from teachers to correct assignments as they are written rather than waiting until completed and simply getting a bad grade if you did not complete the assignment correctly.

 
One teacher explains that this provides a way to reach struggling students. While students are researching and writing, “I can call a weaker student to a private call and quietly work with them giving them the extra support they need,” says Julia Peters who teaches at the International School of Monza.  
 
If this kind of technology is already available, why are we not using it?
 
I have always been an advocate for improving the quality of education.  I am also an advocate for hands-on education rather than computer-based education. Still, during the coronavirus pandemic, I must stand with those who say the best way to educate our children right now is to teach them at home through computer-based learning.
 
Are we doing the best that we can do with computer-based learning?  No, we are not.  Just as when students are sitting in the classroom, some teachers are going out of their way to be as creative and innovative as possible, while, just as when children are in the classroom, some teachers are doing only what is required by their administrator.  As a country, we are not doing the best that we can do.  Our children deserve more.
 
How can we make education better?  As a research psychologist, I will always heavily lean toward what science says.  So, what is research telling us?  One reference that I found very helpful stated that we should: 

1. Require more training and infrastructure for distance learning. Obviously, if your child received a stack of worksheets this week on their school computer with absolutely no explanation for what the worksheets taught or how the student was to complete the worksheets correctly, you know firsthand that  teachers need more training in distance learning.

2. Expand access to broadband. Comcast, Verizon, and charter are mentioned in the article as offering free or low-cost high-speed Internet to low-income families, but we need more.

3.  Broadcast over TV free. The article mentions that PBS is offering some programming at present. So why are we not doing more?  Even most low-income families have TV.  Why are we not turning our televisions into educational classrooms?
 
Andreas Schleicher, the head of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, of which the U. S. is a member, leaves us with one somber reminder to think about: 
 
“It is clear that this will not reach everyone and it’s not just a matter of access to devices,” he says.  “If you don’t know how to learn on your own, if you don’t know how to manage your time, if you don’t have intrinsic motivation, you won’t be very successful in this [computer-based] environment.”
 
So, what should we do?  Should we continue with the haphazard online education being sent home at present (some good—some not), should we totally embrace online learning as demonstrated at the International School of Monza, or should we just send the children back to school and pretend it’s okay?

We assume that because the child has been shown both capital and lowercase letters that they have learned them. This is not the case, and this is one of the first big mistakes often made in teaching reading.  Just because your child can sing the alphabet song, does not mean that they know the alphabet letters and their sounds.

So, if you are teaching a preschool or kindergarten child, start with the alphabet.  Teach both the capital letters and lowercase letters.  Teach them separately.  Then mix the capital and lowercase letters together, not in alphabetical order and not in pairs, to make sure that children can identify both capitals and lowercase letters.  Rearrange the alphabet letters so that the child is looking at the letter and identifying the letter, not just remembering it from the song

Don’t try to teach reading before you have even laid the foundation for learning about words.  Teach the alphabet first.  Then, you will have a much stronger foundation for teaching reading later.

This is the kind of foundation that vowel clustering is built upon.  Once the child has letter identity, letter shape, and letter sounds, then you are ready to introduce simple words, but not before.  It’s like building a house. Build the foundation before you try to add the roof. 

Handwriting and reading are connected, so, if you want to teach a child to read, you must also teach a child to write.  Improving a child’s handwriting is one of the first steps in helping a child learn to read. It is not enough to just be able to sing the alphabet song; although, the alphabet song is very helpful in learning to alphabetize.  To read, the student must also be able to identify and say the name of each alphabet letter. Then, the student must be able to write the letters correctly. 

Teach handwriting on manuscript writing paper.  I have children use paper that has half-inch ruling with a dotted midline.  Yes, I know that it is hard to find supplies, and we are not allowed to go out shopping right now, so, if you need to, make your own manuscript paper.  You can even use scrap paper or old left-over wrapping paper.  Use the back of a page.  Draw a baseline with a dotted midline and half-inch ruling between.  Use a ruler and maybe a T-square, it’s not difficult to make your own paper. You might also find downloadable templates for manuscript paper. Make sure that they use half-inch ruling with a dotted line in the middle. 

As the stay-at-home orders, school closings, community lock downs, and coronavirus threat continue, many parents and schools are struggling with how to teach children at home.  Yet, while some struggle, a parent I spoke with recently thought their child was doing better with homeschooling than they had in the classroom.  As I have said many times, every single child is different, even identical twins.  Children also learn differently and need different teaching methods. That is why I use 12 different teaching techniques in my Reading Orienteering Club afterschool program.  If you would like to read more about these teaching techniques, I discuss each technique in detail in a series of blogs that I wrote starting on January 16, 2018 and concluding on June 2, 2018.  [Click on the appropriate links on the right to see these posts.]

A parent asked me, “How can I teach vowel clustering to my child while your reading clinic is closed?  You’ve been promising a new parenting book, but I need help now.”  My new book is stuck on the editor’s desk.  I apologize that it’s not ready when we most need it.  I do have an older book on vowel clustering that is available and that some parents have found helpful.  [Click the envelope icon on the top right  to email me if you’re interested.] 

In the meantime, let’s revisit the principles of vowel clustering and how to teach vowel clustering at home.  Yes, however, you can start to teach vowel clustering right now. 

In my last post, I promised to talk about how to work with nonreaders or early readers and that will be the focus of our discussion today.  In kindergarten and in many preschools, children are given a list of words to memorize.  Wrong.  You can go back to almost any of my previous blog posts to find why teaching children to memorize words is a mistake. (See, for example, my blog post of December 31, 2016).  The best answer though is given by Dr. Sally Shaywitz, M. D., dyslexia specialist (see Shaywitz, Overcoming Dyslexia, 2003):  “Children do not learn to read by memorizing a word list. Most children especially those who struggle in reading do not learn to read by memorizing phonics rules” (p. 78).   

What should a parent do instead?

Dr. Shaywitz goes on in her book to say that, if we teach letter sounds instead of memorization, that almost every single child across the nation could learn to read.  Vowel clustering begins by teaching letter sounds.
 
There is nothing wrong if a child wants to learn to read before kindergarten, many children do, but we should never push a child to learn to read that early.  First, we need to remember that normal childhood development for preschool and kindergarten children is focused on action, not sitting.  Therefore, use hands-on learning techniques. 
 
For young children, keep your teaching sessions active. You could make an alphabet train.  Have children line up their stuffed animals, identify each animal by name, and then ask what letter sound the child hears when you say the animal’s name.  Have the child arrange their stuffed animals into alphabetical order.  You’re learning, having fun, and teaching a very important beginning principal needed for reading.  If you do not have a stuffed animal to represent a particular alphabet letter, have the child draw a picture and place a picture of an animal that would fit for the appropriate alphabet letter.  Yes, you may need to get creative, especially with the letter X.  Use the computer and try websites such as this for help: 
 
Older children, able to write or draw, may have fun making an alphabet book.  Kindergartners love to make alphabet books.  Don’t forget free coloring book pages for young children who need help drawing an animal picture.

Instead of memorizing words, preschool and kindergarten children should be working on

1. identifying both capital and lower-case letters (remember to teach lowercase letters separately from uppercase letters.),
2. writing capital and lower-case letters on manuscript paper (again, remember to teach the writing of lowercase alphabet letters separate from uppercase or capital letters.  We mostly read with lower case letters; therefore, children must learn to work with lowercase letters.),
3. learning the sounds for all of the consonant letters.  I do not teach vowel sounds until first grade. 

You and your child can have fun together as the child continues to learn while the schools are closed.  My upcoming post will talk about teaching children to recognize letters by working on their handwriting.   

What can we do to help our children get an education while schools are closed? Any age of child can make a book about birds, and this is a perfect time because many birds can be seen in the yard through the window.  Hummingbirds have returned to my house this week, and I have two very cute new little birds that seem to be checking out the backyard to see if they want to move in.  Birdwatching can be very interesting for children, particularly if the bird lives in their backyard so that they can frequently watch it.  Older students may even try to identify birds from pictures on the Internet.  Here’s one helpful guide.

• Preschool and kindergarten students can sit and watch a video about birds, possibly even a story about a particular bird, and then color a picture of that bird.  There are several free coloring pages available online that you may copy and provide for your child to color.  The child can watch the video and figure out which color each bird should be.  In this way, they are practicing their colors as well as their listening skills.
• First and second graders might also watch a video, color a free coloring page, and then write a sentence or two telling what they learned from the video.  Even if a young child only writes:  “The bird is blue,” that’s a start.  As long as they are writing a complete, correct grammatical sentence, they are learning.
• Third, fourth, and fifth graders can take the next step and write a paragraph about each bird that they view on the video.  Learning to write complete sentences and paragraphs is one of the major learning steps for all elementary students.  This age group may either read an article or watch a video.  Make sure it’s factual and accurate.  Then, have students make a list of the facts they learned and write a paragraph telling what they learned. 
• This could be a project for all ages.  You simply increase the requirements appropriate for the age.  While you work.  They work.  You can make a bird book.  Older students may decide to draw or paint their own pictures.  Use the supplies you have at home and be creative.  Learning really can be fun.

Students can bind their pages with a hole punch and string. They can draw or paint a bird picture on the cover. 
 
Next week, we will look at how to teach beginning letter sounds to young children and how to teach comprehension skills to older children.  Yes, as we pray for everyone’s safety, we can make this time at home an educational time.  Work on a bird report this week and have fun.