Dr. Jenny Pieratt
Your child’s education
Steps to Meaningful Engagement Part 2 of a two-part series Parents had a rare opportunity to see their children as students last spring. Combined with this unique insight was a novel sense of partnership with school and a newfound empowerment to speak up if something didn’t work. In our household it meant saying “no thank you” when a class video call wasn’t possible due to work commitments or “let’s try something else” if a lesson with the best intentions didn’t seem to be the right fit for my kids. I learned quickly that juggling a small business in the wake of a pandemic while homeschooling two kids meant that weekends were spent reviewing work and modifying assignments as needed. I also realized that not all parents have the background knowledge to make modifications that ensure meaningful learning at home. This two-part series is for those parents—parents who want 20 • SanDiegofamily.com • September 2020
to build their toolkit and be active participants—including those who are banding together to form supportive learning pods. Missed Part One in our August issue? Read it at www.sandiegofamily.com/ resources/education-directory. It’s not uncommon for student learning levels to be “all over the place,” but even more so now. Virtual learning makes it difficult for teachers to provide content to more than one learning level (in teacher speak we call this differentiation). As a result, content may continue to be focused on “the middle.” When schoolwork is either too difficult or too easy for a student, it impacts his ability to stay engaged. If your child isn’t engaged in learning, he may benefit from assignments being modified to better fit his needs.
Do you know how your child learns best? Read about all seven learning styles in our article “What’s Your Child’s Learning Style?” at www.sandiegofamily.com/ resources/education-directory/ kids-unique-learning-style.
Clues that a Student Is Not Engaged in Learning There are several explanations as to why a student may not be engaged in learning. Schoolwork being below or above a child’s learning level is one possible reason. • Staring at the computer screen • Slumped shoulders • Avoiding assignments with offtask behavior • Feeling bored • Misplaced frustration
