Article Link: http://www.exchangepress.com/article/navigating-quarantine-with-young-children/5025564/
The Great Pause
In the U.S. on Friday, March 13, 2020, everything changed. The pandemic that once seemed so far away was now an immediate reality and closures were announced with little notice. Many centers and schools were told on Friday that children would not return to school on Monday, while administrators scrambled to figure out how to continue to educate children, keep teachers working, and keep
everyone safe.
As many people began to work remotely, school-aged children began online instruction, while parents juggled their jobs and keeping up with their children’s schoolwork. Almost immediately, social media feeds and email inboxes were overflowing with packaged curricula to ensure that children would not “get behind” during this time. As early childhood educators, we had to help families navigate this information, and stand firm in our commitment to developmentally appropriate practices. Our challenge was to support and guide families in continuing their children’s growth and development, while demonstrating the appropriate use of technology for this population.
Our Work
As early childhood educators, we must build and maintain close relationships with children and their families. We knew this was a tough time for families and wanted to communicate that we were thinking about them. We also wanted to ...