Planning Ahead

For many countries, which previously thought to have the pandemic situation under control, the fight against this enemy is nowhere near finished.  As second or even third wave of COVID-19 cases hit, we also approach the end of the Summer.  Many schools are preparing to start the new school year online, or at least have a contingency plan of switching to remote learning in case things get worse again.

The Hurdles of Remote Learning

So many kids around the world have been looking forward to the beginning of school where they can meet their much-missed friends and teachers again in person.  My heart broke when I saw the faces of my daughters after they learned that they would need to start school online again.

I think remote learning for the little ones at pre-school and kindergarten levels is the toughest.  At their age they mainly learn from hands-on activities and develop social skills through interactions with others.  They also don’t have the concentration span to sit still and listen to their teachers on the screen for a prolonged period of time.  I really respect these education professionals who are creating and reinventing teaching methods to adapt to the current educational demand.  Additionally, young children need more patience and attention so they can only teach a few students at a time, having multiple sessions a day, making it also extra draining physically and mentally.

Happy to Help!

As for our little kids, they also need to adapt to a new way of learning and can only see their teachers briefly each day.  They are not yet old enough to handle the online interaction independently and require much help from their care givers by their side, so we are becoming the teaching assistant at home too!  Have no fear!  There are actually many websites, that normally provide home-school parents with structured curriculum, that have useful information to those who need to do this temporarily.   For more ideas on fun yet educational activities and tips on teaching your kids from home, this site provides some pretty comprehensive resource guides for all ages up to elementary level.

The Post COVID-19 Education

This pandemic has forced the age-old methods in education to be re-invented overnight into a new form.  Although these remote learning strategies are supposedly just a temporary solution to handle the crisis, it has kick-started a new era of education that will come with its benefits and problems.  As this article from the World Economic Forum has concluded, it is important to have resilience when facing these new challenges, and without doubt we will help our kids navigate these unchartered waters together!

Bombol is here for you!

To boost the morale of the Sparky families who follow what Bombol is up to, we would like to offer you a special discount to get you ready for the start of school at home!  Use the discount code BACK2SCHOOL1 and get 10% discount on any purchase from our online store!  (Valid until Sept 30, 2020)

Stay Sparky!