Resources for Parents
Child Mind Institute
The website provides families with resources to help their children succeed in an online learning environment. Academic materials, worksheets, books, activities, videos, and games are resources available for families, especially for parents who have young children. This website can be useful because younger students are less likely to have plans and instructional material ready, so it provides families with academic resources. There are also free resources for dyslexic students which is extremely helpful to parents who need extra support but may not be receiving it through the school. The resources are broken down by age groups and focus primarily on reading, writing, and math. There are also videos available for students to watch to keep them physically active. With the pandemic and stay at home order, children are not receiving as much exercise, so the videos are a good and interactive way for children to stay active.
National Association of School Psychologists
The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) has created this resource as a tool for parents/caregivers looking to educate their children on COVID-19, as well as the stigmas and racism associated with it. It positions parents/caregivers as being in a crucial position to help their children understand that the rise of COVID-19 cannot be attributed to anyone's community and that racism against these communities is unjust. Some tips include modeling acceptance and compassion to children, such as reaching out to those in communities being stigmatized, as well as exploring children’s fears surrounding COVID-19 to ease their anxiety.
Children's Mental Health Ontario
This website provides 6 useful tips to help parents guide their students through online learning. It looks at online learning through the lens of mental wellness and how students' well-being can best be supported. The 6 tips outlined in this article are: manage expectations, ask what they need to do to feel better about the situation, stay connected, encourage media breaks, make room for physical activity, and understand that remote learning is not for every child. At the bottom of the article, there are 3 links for parents to access if they are in need of more resources during this time. A webinar series hosted by CMH and two further articles regarding student wellness and remote learning.
Parents of Black Children
Click on this link to access The Parents of Black Children website and resources. The Parents of Black Children is a team of parents committed to advocating and ensuring that all school boards meet the educational, emotional safety, wellbeing, and physical needs of Black students, by providing them with equal opportunities to pursue their education, within an environment free from oppression and anti-Black racism. As such, Parents of Black Children has sent their heart-felt demands to the Government of Ontario, and the Ministry of Education so their voices are heard, and justice is served within the Ontario Education System.
Royal Society of Canada Report on Pandemic Effects
This article by Dr. Carl James through the Royal Society of Canada discusses how the pandemic has further highlighted the inequities in schooling for many minority groups within the Toronto District School Board and Peel District School Board. It outlines the three main areas where the inequities are seen within the minority groups: nutrition, academic supports, mental health, and online learning. his article provides a list of 9 recommendations regarding the inequities faced by racialized communities. Some of these recommendations are targeted towards parents, while others are directed to the education system as a whole. It is important for parents to be aware of all of these recommendations as they will be better equipped with knowledge while their child is in remote learning.
TED Talk by Helen Pearson
This video, put out by TED is a presentation given by Helen Pearson which summarizes the findings from a 70-year long study on children which outlines why some end up healthy and prosper, while others struggle. As is noted, this study is the longest-running study on human development in the world and has changed the way people parent. Thus, this video is a valuable resource for parents as it reaffirms to them that their actions are integral to their child’s success, and despite some of the hardships they face, good parenting is crucial. Additionally, it provides several recommendations that are simple, low-cost, that is backed up by research, to help parents ensure they are doing what’s best for their child’s development.