As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of virtual learning has been keenly felt by kindergarten students. Many parents have decided to put off sending their children to kindergarten or opted for virtual learning. However, what impact does this truly have on our children?
Inability to Adapt to Routines and Procedures
Making the leap from 2nd grade to 3rd grade is often not a big deal, but the transition from home to the first year of formal education is huge. Here is where kindergarten comes in as a transitory period before starting grade school.
The relaxed structure of home life means that two days are never quite the same, and when children start kindergarten, they learn that things have to be done at a certain place and time. Children who have only attended kindergarten virtually will not have reaped the full benefit of following a routine, as everything is still being done from home.
Lack of Solid Foundation for Academic Learning
We all know that building a solid foundation is key to academic success. For instance, middle schoolers need to have a good understanding of concepts taught in pre-algebra in order to succeed in Algebra 2. The same goes for kindergarten students making the transition to first grade.
If they have never attended kindergarten or only done so virtually, they could have missed out on early milestones in crucial areas such as math and reading. When the workload increases in first grade, these students can find themselves falling even further behind.
Missing Out on the Development of Crucial Social Skills
In kindergarten, children get introduced to a larger group of peers than they have ever been exposed to and pick up critical social skills such as sharing, communicating, and working together. Virtual learning means that children never had the chance to interact in a meaningful and personal manner, which can impact them as they progress to elementary school and even for life.
Having never interacted with their peers in person and acquired the requisite social skills, students can find it hard to cope when thrust into grade school, and this has the potential to impact the m later on in life if left unaddressed.
Let Firefly Tutors Get Your Child Up to Speed
If your child has fallen behind as a result of virtual learning during the pandemic, you may have considered engaging a tutor to get them up to speed. Pod tutoring is a great way for children to learn alongside their peers in a variety of subjects. When you first come to us, Firefly Tutors always takes the time to evaluate your child’s needs before matching them with the most suitable tutor.
