Families in isolation during the coronavirus pandemic have faced some rather unique challenges. Kids who have never experienced ‘social distancing’ have had to go without interaction with schoolmates, friends, or even close relatives for weeks on end. As difficult as it is to be under quarantine, the time of social isolation can present some surprising benefits as well. For a nation of elementary students, this includes a newfound love of reading.
As daily lessons have moved from the traditional classroom to a distance learning model, more teachers are embracing technology, including elementary reading programs to remotely help students strengthen their skills and become better readers. Now more than ever, evidence-based educational software is being used to support reading skills such as phonics and phonemic awareness, sight word recognition, reading comprehension, grammar, language, and spelling.
Reading programs for schools are an integral tool for teachers and the ability to read is beneficial to students in so many ways, particularly during difficult times such as quarantine:
Books provide a needed escape. When life becomes confusing and frightening, children need to get away from negative news and constant reminders that the world has changed. The best reading programs for elementary schools will give kids the skills they need to tune out the world around them and lose themselves in a great story.
Characters can feel like friends. A sense of familiarity is so important to children, especially during times of isolation, and a favourite character can have a profound effect. This is why adults recalling their childhood tend to remember fictional characters so clearly. Many of us can’t recall the names of our childhood school mates, but we can name all of the characters in Peter Pan or Anne of Green Gables. From the friendly faces in primary readers to the funny, heartbreaking, or heroic figures in chapter books, familiar characters are a welcome company when everything else in the world has changed.
Stories connect us. Elementary reading programs give children the power to share stories with their siblings or parents. Whether a student is reading from the page at bedtime or discussing a plot at the dinner table, being able to tell a story and contribute to the family conversation is so empowering.
When looking for a comprehensive set of lesson plans partnered with hundreds of grade-appropriate activities, choose the best reading programs for elementary schools by Essential Skills. This educational software is developed by teachers and has been used by schools worldwide for more than 20 years. No other elementary reading programs deliver the same level of comprehensive skills coverage or can compare on value.