In a classroom in London, Ont., eight-year-old Omar Abdelaal concentrates as he writes sentences to describe sharks. “Shrake can swim,” he jots down on a sheet of paper, adding that they can bite, wiggle their tails and “see vree good.”
Educators, parents and researchers have expressed concern about the achievement gaps in learning, as well as the social and emotional struggles of students, especially those from marginalized communities. “It’s to maintain the literacy and numeracy learning and to help prevent a summer slip, really,” Ms. Moynihan said. Some education experts say that a yawning nine-week summer break negatively affects students’ achievement, causing what has been referred to as a summer slide.
Ms. Payne has taught for about a decade and can see more learning gaps in children that have been caused by the pandemic-related disruptions. The students in the Grade 1 summer program, for example, have only known schooling in a pandemic.
Mass testing of healthy people creates virtual pandemic.