FAMILY MATTERS
How to Support Your Reluctant Writer
T
he pandemic has disrupted the last two academic years with on-and-off school closures and the transition to online learning. Reports by educational organisations have also indicated that primary school children have been especially affected by these changes. Limited classroom times, coupled with the need for teachers to move on with the curriculum in other areas, have left many children struggling to meet learning milestones, including reading and writing skills. 20
By Laura Powell-Corbett
In fact, the Juniper Education National Dataset Report, published in February 2021, reveals that children from all year groups struggled with meeting age-related goals and that the youngest children have been worst affected. Frazer Westmorland, the headteacher of Mundella Primary School in Kent, the United Kingdom, agrees with the report's findings. He says: "Younger pupils have certainly been the most affected from their time away from the classroom. A lot of skills, such as 'how do I learn, listen, and collaborate', are developed at school. They provide the building blocks which allow for progress in learning." Mr Westmorland adds that many of these children have likely not had enough opportunities to hone those skills at home. Because of this, he believes that schools will have to "go back to basics" and help them with those skills before they can progress with their learning.
