Blog entry by Jamika Haynie
Moreover, KOTY goes beyond academics and holds a strong emphasis on social skills and personality development, both essential for the overall growth of the children. Engaging workshops on topics like mindfulness, stress management, and time management are commonplace, integrating the mental well-being of the children with their academic progress.
Webinars and online workshops targeting parents have also gained traction over the years. Educational institutions and expert educators are extending their support to parents through these platforms. These webinars encompass a broad spectrum of topics, including understanding child psychology, importance of a growth mindset, managing screen time, and more, allowing parents to improve their child-raising strategies as per the changing educational landscape.
At the heart of this development is an understanding that parental engagement plays a pivotal role in the academic success of a child. Recognizing this crucial aspect, the trend is shifting towards providing comprehensive educational resources designed specifically for parents. These resources have evolved beyond the conventional PTAs and occasional parents-teachers meetings, growing into a wide array of online and offline tools, platforms, and intervention systems.
Originating in Los Angeles, 'Kids on the Yard' (KOTY) is a community-oriented program focusing on educational enrichment for children. It is designed for kids of all abilities, from kindergarten through middle school, embracing a holistic approach to learning. The primary intent of KOTY lies in providing services that meet each child's specific academic needs, equipping them with the necessary skills to thrive in an evolving educational landscape.
One of the key pillars of the KOTY program is to improve reading comprehension among children. The program is acutely aware of the importance of being an efficient reader, not just for academic success but also as an essential life skill.
The field of education has continued to evolve and expand over the years, marked by considerable advances in the design and availability of educational resources for parents. These improvements are fostering a new generation of involved, informed, and innovative parents who are actively participating in their children's educational journey.
Furthermore, as Jane developed her reading fluency, she achieved a newfound confidence, which allowed her to embrace reading on a personal level and read beyond her classroom assignments, choosing books that appealed to her personal interests.
What sets 'Kids on the Yard' apart from other learning programs is its blending of traditional teaching techniques with contemporary educational philosophies. The program involves parents, does homeschooling affect social skills teachers, and students collaborating towards improved reading comprehension. Periodic assessments and individualized feedback help track the child's progress and home schooling pre k children devise specific improvement strategies.
In this case study, we'll look at Jane, a 2nd-grade student, as an exemplar, demonstrating difficulty in reading fluency. Despite her vividity and curiosity, she struggled with reading comprehension and read slowly, which makes her lose interest quickly. Her teacher detected the challenge and was determined to turn the situation around, enhancing Jane’s reading fluency.
Lastly, effective management of study time is pivotal to academic success. Evidently observed was that students who made use of planners or scheduled their study sessions ahead of time had better academic performance. Time management skills are essential for children to balance their academic and leisure activities effectively.
Websites like Khan Academy, Coursera, and Codecademy offer comprehensive learning modules on numerous subjects, enabling parents to strengthen their understanding of topics and assist their children in learning these subjects. Similarly, educational apps such as ABCmouse, Kids A-Z, Duolingo Kids, and others make interactive educational content accessible to parents at their fingertips, helping them engage their children in learning in enjoyable ways.
First, the teacher initiated a systematic phonics program to assist Jane in understanding the relations between the sounds of spoken language and the letters of written language. This included both direct teaching of letter-sound relationships and guided practice in small groups.
In conclusion, the current era has witnessed a demonstrable advancement in the provision of educational resources available to parents. It has made the mission of parenting less daunting and more proactive, promoting the emergence of a more collaborative and engaging learning environment for children. These booming resources signify a balanced and efficient synergy between parents, teachers, education platforms, and institutions, creating a breeding ground for optimal learning and success in children's education.
The teacher also introduced "paired reading." In this technique, Jane and her reading partner read aloud synchronously from the same text. Over time, Jane’s partner began to read softer, allowing Jane to become the primary reader.