Thank you for subscribing to the Irby Review and sharing your thoughts with me each month. Here are some articles I read that I think would be of interest to you during these challenging times.
Stuck At Home? These 12 Famous Museum Offer Virtual Tours You Can Take On Your Couch
Spring break plans were canceled. Summer travel is very much up in the air. Realizing these limitations,Travel & Leisure magazine partnered with Google Arts & Culture to provide online tours and exhibits of 2500 museums and galleries around the world. Get creative with your students, children and grandchildren and indulge in a tour of great artworks from the J.Paul Getty Museum, or view masterpieces from the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, up close. Some adults on social media are having fun by dressing up as their favorite works of art and sharing them on social media- Do something different with the kids and dress up too! And, if circumstances don't allow you to get outside and exercise safely, take a virtual tour of some of America's national parks. Read More
Study: Scans Show Benefit of Reading vs.Screen Time
Long days at home with children are challenging, but try to limit your kids' time in front of the television and video games and read to them! A study of brain scans from Cincinnati Children's Hospital compared the brain of a preschooler who was read to daily, to that of a child who spent more time in front of a screen. On the scans of the first child, brain growth, in the form of "white matter" can be seen in the area which supports language and literacy development. The scan of the second child revealed underdevelopment in the same area. Researchers at the hospital gave cognitive tests, and not surprisingly, those toddlers who were read to frequently, scored higher. Read More
Gender Stereotypes Keep Boys From Reading As Well As Girls
How many times have we heard teachers and parents say, girls read better than boys? We are learning now from a pioneering study about the negative impact these stereotypes have on boys' motivation and abilities, especially when it is reinforced by their peers in school. Published in the journal "Child Development", the study investigated how assumptions of boys' weaker reading skills, and girls' aptitudes for reading, are affirmed by other students. The results of these preconceived ideas are detrimental - less confidence and poorer performance among male students in 5th and 6th grades. An earlier analysis of toddlers through elementary school found societies desire girls to like language and arts, while boys should like math and science. Let's remove the stereotypes in and out of the classrooms. All students can reach their full reading potential by having teachers create environments where individual development is the focus and adults and parents act as role models and cheerleaders. Read More
"It Was Just Too Much": How Remote Learning Is Breaking Parents
The new norm? Hopefully not, as most parents find themselves in uncharted and turbulent waters during homeschooling. The teachers had little time to prepare before moving lessons on line, and many children have inadequate access to computers and internet. Pressure is on parents to provide younger kids with technical assistance, and to act as motivators and educators. Parents who are working away from home during school hours are in the toughest spots, and the outcome from remote and insufficient learning may be worse. Education experts advise creating a school schedule which includes eating and playtime, and setting up a designated space during school hours. This is a very stressful time. Be forgiving of yourself and your child. YOU are not alone. Reach out to other parents, relatives, and the teachers. Read More
Please share your thoughts by replying to this email. I'd love to hear your thoughts about any of these articles and how you are coping during the stay at home orders.
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