education central
WHY CONSIDER PRIVATE SCHOOL? F By Pam Moore
Immaculate Conception Grade School Elmhurst, Illinois Pre-K 3 - 8th grade
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22 education central
rom the moment our kids are born, we’re tasked with deciding what’s best for them. All that decision-making can be exhausting. So we caught up with experts in the field of education to help you make an informed decision when it comes to one of the most important choices of all—your child’s education.
We asked why parents should consider private school. Here’s what they had to say. Smaller classes One of the greatest strengths of any private school is smaller class sizes. At many private schools, smaller classes ensure each child is being met where they are at and encouraged to meet their potential. “Every child is known and loved in a safe environment that is more conducive to learning by way of smaller class sizes, more challenging curriculum and more individualized attention and teaching,” said Holly Peterson, a parochial school principal. suburban family | subfam.com
Meanwhile, in the age of information, it’s becoming increasingly more important to give children the skills to think for themselves when consuming social and news media. According to Peterson, who has over three decades of experience in education, “Small class sizes and individualized instruction give students the ability to become critical thinkers.” Social-emotional learning Social-emotional learning (SEL) gives children the skills to manage their own emotions so that they can ultimately make better decisions and be better citizens. According to the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning, it’s based on five core competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. And data show it’s effective. According to a 2011 meta-analysis published in Child Development, students who were exposed to school-based SEL curricula demonstrated notable improvements in social and emotional skills and behaviors as well as improved academic performance. Meanwhile, a 2017 Society for Research in Child Development study showed that children who participated in school-based SEL programs had higher graduation rates and safer sexual behavior than their peers, even 18 years post-intervention. January/February 2022
