Parents of 5th graders - let’s talk

[Anonymous]

5th graders now, were in 1st grade when Covid started 🙄 We homeschooled and travelled to avoid the mess.

[Anonymous]

My kid who was in 1st grade in 2020 actually gained more confidence with the 1 and half year of zoom classes. COVID didn't affect my kids socially or emotionally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your kids are behind, it is because you abdicated your responsibilities during Covid. Of course parents needed to be more involved! I stayed on top of their schoolwork, plus they saw friends outside and stayed in their sports.

I feel like Covid is not a distant memory to us.

Pp here. I agree with parent responsibility. I was on top of everything during the zoom classes. We did not meet anyone in person though. Kids went to the summer school to get back into the in person school mode.

[Anonymous]

I don’t think this is specific to 5th graders. It affected all kids of all ages, and all teachers and parents too which in turn affected the kids as well. My 3rd grader did virtual school for kindergarten and while he is doing fine now, a lot of his classmates are not—social and academic struggles that seem likely related to starting school virtually at such a critical time for social-emotional development that his cohort missed out on.

I think older kids were also very negatively affected, especially those in middle and high school during 2020-2021 school year…it affected us all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like every parent who has kids with issues attributes them to the lockdown; whatever the age. I don’t see how staying at home for a year can alter every generation of kids so much. And if it was lockdown, why is it your kid and not all the kids in your kid’s grade?

I think that when we are seeing immaturity and learning difficulties across age groups it has as much to do with parenting, copious screens at home, and copious screens in school. Many parents think they’re “on” their children’s behaviors, but they aren’t. They let many many MANY things go and favor their children instead of the good of the group. If we went back to the school days before smart boards in the classroom and chromebooks in every hand, we would see better behavior. If kids weren’t handed iPhones at the store and iPads at restaurants to keep them quiet they would be better off. I don’t think it was the lockdown, I think it was the shift in parenting that came with it and that hasn’t gone back.

As an elementary teacher (5th grade), it is 97% of the kids in that grade. The ones who weren't affected were the students who were exceptional before the lockdown (advanced for their age/grade).

The students I've had in my classroom the 2021-2022, 2022-2023, and 2023-2024 school years are one year behind, both academically and emotionally.

I have to pause and teach several 4th grade topics because last year in 4th grade the teacher had to pause and teach 3rd grade topics, etc. etc. etc. My sister teaches 3rd grade and she said this is the first year she hasn't had to shift her learning plans to incorporate a lot of 2nd grade topics that weren't mastered. In chatting with others, they are seeing the same. The only students on the correct track are those who started K 2022-2023 and after, whose learning was not at all disrupted because they were too young to be in school.

As a parent of a child who was in k in 2022-2023 school year, I can tell you this isn’t true. Kids in that group missed a year of preschool, which is critical social emotional learning and development. Most kids in that age group had only 1 year of preschool before starting k. I think they missed out too. Preschool is important, even the play based preschool programs are important to development. I’d say the only kids who didn’t have their learning disrupted by Covid shutdowns are the kids who are currently in K as they should’ve had at least 2 years preschool and have always had school in person unmasked.

[Anonymous]

My kids were not impacted academically, but it’s clear that the prolonged closures impacted them socially and continue to do so. There’s a whole generation of kids who are developmental and socially behind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We caught leaning disability during covid. I had always asked teachers at every conference about possible ADHD and they said no. ADHD seemed so apparent when I observed online learning, so we got testing which confirmed it. I guess because my daughter's grades were fine and she wasn't throwing chairs, the teachers lumped her in with the "no problems" kids.

I do wonder if the frequent screen stimulation shrinking attention spans makes it much harder to distinguish between general distractability and true ADHD.

THIS 1000%. It's almost like screens have made the vast majority of people have ADHD-like behavior. So we give them speed so they can focus. The pandemic and screens rewired our brains and we're f'ed!

My son is going on a 10 day camping trip where there are zero screens allowed. I want to figure out a way to test his ability to focus before the trip and after.

[Anonymous]

Covid impacted all kids. Those with parents who realized they would need to do more to keep education and health on track did so and continued to do so once everything was reopened so as to get kids back on track. Those kids are fine. Even kids who didn’t have special needs identified in school early should have had them identified by now and will get on track with time and effort.

None of this is insurmountable if parents put in the time and effort with their kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Covid impacted all kids. Those with parents who realized they would need to do more to keep education and health on track did so and continued to do so once everything was reopened so as to get kids back on track. Those kids are fine. Even kids who didn’t have special needs identified in school early should have had them identified by now and will get on track with time and effort.

None of this is insurmountable if parents put in the time and effort with their kid.

Don't kid yourself. "Catching up" isn't a thing. And despite all the effort you put into your DC, you cannot fix missed experience and delayed maturity and development.

[Anonymous]

My 5th grader is definitely behind academically and emotionally, and I feel confident that if we hadn't hired tutors during 2nd grade, they would be even further behind than they are already are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How many of you think that the lockdowns in grades 2-3 did a major number on your kids at a key developmental stage? I see it in my own child whose learning disabilities weren’t flagged until much later. I see it in my students who are more immature than typical 5th graders. I had hoped they’d equalize the further we got from distance learning but they’re still lagging.

Do you see it?

Lockdowns didnt' bother my kid.

If anything he came out of it happier and healthier. Ended up being good family time, got close with neighbors and friends... basically all of the social problems he ever had went away and then came roaring back when it was over. It was a respite from the bullies and the douchebags who really start coming into their own in 3rd grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We caught leaning disability during covid. I had always asked teachers at every conference about possible ADHD and they said no. ADHD seemed so apparent when I observed online learning, so we got testing which confirmed it. I guess because my daughter's grades were fine and she wasn't throwing chairs, the teachers lumped her in with the "no problems" kids.

I do wonder if the frequent screen stimulation shrinking attention spans makes it much harder to distinguish between general distractability and true ADHD.

THIS 1000%. It's almost like screens have made the vast majority of people have ADHD-like behavior. So we give them speed so they can focus. The pandemic and screens rewired our brains and we're f'ed!

My son is going on a 10 day camping trip where there are zero screens allowed. I want to figure out a way to test his ability to focus before the trip and after.

If you know much about ADHD it is very easy to distinguish between ADHD and kids who just aren't interested.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We caught leaning disability during covid. I had always asked teachers at every conference about possible ADHD and they said no. ADHD seemed so apparent when I observed online learning, so we got testing which confirmed it. I guess because my daughter's grades were fine and she wasn't throwing chairs, the teachers lumped her in with the "no problems" kids.

I do wonder if the frequent screen stimulation shrinking attention spans makes it much harder to distinguish between general distractability and true ADHD.

THIS 1000%. It's almost like screens have made the vast majority of people have ADHD-like behavior. So we give them speed so they can focus. The pandemic and screens rewired our brains and we're f'ed!

My son is going on a 10 day camping trip where there are zero screens allowed. I want to figure out a way to test his ability to focus before the trip and after.

If you know much about ADHD it is very easy to distinguish between ADHD and kids who just aren't interested.

Inability to focus, not lack of interest. And fwiw, inability to focus is ADHD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I see fewer effects in my 5th grader’s class than in my 8th grader’s class.

Agree. More social impacts in my 9th graders class. Perhaps more basic academic issues in the younger set.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We caught leaning disability during covid. I had always asked teachers at every conference about possible ADHD and they said no. ADHD seemed so apparent when I observed online learning, so we got testing which confirmed it. I guess because my daughter's grades were fine and she wasn't throwing chairs, the teachers lumped her in with the "no problems" kids.

I do wonder if the frequent screen stimulation shrinking attention spans makes it much harder to distinguish between general distractability and true ADHD.

THIS 1000%. It's almost like screens have made the vast majority of people have ADHD-like behavior. So we give them speed so they can focus. The pandemic and screens rewired our brains and we're f'ed!

My son is going on a 10 day camping trip where there are zero screens allowed. I want to figure out a way to test his ability to focus before the trip and after.

If you know much about ADHD it is very easy to distinguish between ADHD and kids who just aren't interested.

Inability to focus, not lack of interest. And fwiw, inability to focus is ADHD.

No, inability to focus is an inability to focus. ADHD is more than that and is physical and inherited.