The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has raised concerns among parents about how to prepare their child for a school year that will likely look different than previous years. This adjustment can be more difficult for younger students.
To help parents prepare their young students for the new school year the Georgia Department of Education and Georgia Public Broadcasting are launching “Getting Ready” guides to help parents of the youngest learners prepare for the upcoming school year.
These guides for getting ready for kindergarten and first, second, and third grade were created by GPB Education and specialists in the Georgia Department of Education’s Office of Teaching & Learning, and are designed to provide a simple way to keep the learning going over the summer and explore skills that will prepare a student for the school year ahead.
“Because school closures interrupted the traditional learning experience this year, we know some parents and caregivers are concerned about their child’s readiness for the next school year,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. “These optional guides can help families create simple, unstructured learning experiences during the summer months and strengthen the skills a student gained during the school year.”
Use of the guides is in no way required, and students will not be expected to know the information they contain – part of a teacher’s role is meeting all students where they are at the beginning of the school year.
“As Georgia’s source for trusted learning resources, GPB is thrilled to partner with GaDOE to provide these new guides to support children and families with at-home learning during the summer,” GPB Director of Education Laura Evans said. “We look forward to our continued collaboration to make sure all students in Georgia have access to high-quality educational content.”
While these guides focus on the youngest learners, who are most likely to have struggled to adjust to distance learning, resources for students of all ages are available at georgiasummer.org.
The Getting Ready guides cover physical health and wellness, English/language arts, math, science, and social studies.
You can find the guides here.
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