COVID-19 upended families’ morning routines. Getting kids back on schedule and sticking to it will help ease difficult transitions, a child psychologist explains.
COVID-19 lockdown periods opened a unique window for observing teen sleep patterns.
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Could we capitalize on disruption schedules during the pandemic to make evidence-based changes in school start times to improve teens’ sleep?
‘Purposeful play’ could look like children gaining opportunities to develop fine motor skills and cognitive abilities through talking about their inquiry and pursuits.
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The Department of Education is investigating whether state bans on mask requirements in schools discriminate against students with disabilities.
After long periods of social isolation with family members, it may be hard for some children — and parents — to be separated.
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When you layer a pandemic on top of back-to-school, many children may struggle with separation anxiety. Here are some strategies parents can use to help reduce anxiety in their children.
How do children feel about pandemic measures that affect their lives and sense of security?
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Children are excluded from decisions related to schooling during the pandemic. This denies children their agency and reflects a historical colonial attitude about the place of the child.
The move to secondary school comes with big challenges.
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Making the jump from year six to year seven can be stressful, which only adds to the anxiety children feel from the pandemic. Support from parents and teachers alike is vital
Even in ordinary times, going back to school is a stressful time.
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COVID has made the usual jitters about returning to school that much more intense. Parents can support their children by listening carefully and prioritising healthy habits
For children, the risks associated with school closures have surpassed the health risks associated with COVID-19.
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Amid uncertainties about what the pandemic will look like this fall, experts answer questions about risks of infection in unvaccinated children and the risks of missing in-person school.
To reduce the spread of COVID-19 in unvaccinated children, epidemiologists rely on a layered approach of interventions including masking, ventilation, cohorting and promoting vaccination for all eligible community members.
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With no vaccination yet in children under 12, preventing COVID-19 spread in schools depends on fine-tuning policy interventions according to local epidemiology and vaccination rates.
Noticing, validating and managing emotions is an important part of family health and wellness.
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The case for campus vaccine mandates is compelling, and this conclusion is bolstered by recommendations from medical doctors.
Students headed to university are thirsty for socializing and missed milestones, and risky alcohol consumption could be more of a problem than it usually is.
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Cancelling campus events won’t address the potential harms of binge drinking this fall. Universities must plan additional activities to curb risky alcohol use and promote student wellness.
Play will be essential to give children space to work out anxieties, and will also provide many other social and cognitive benefits.
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Communicating clearly with children and providing space for them to play will be vital during back-to-school and beyond as children manage stressors associated with COVID-19.
School districts are using federal COVID-19 relief funds to hire more mental health professionals.
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A shortage of school psychologists will pose serious problems as children return to school with higher levels of stress and anxiety, two experts on student mental health say.
Pre-pandemic research about courses offered online and in-person found students took online courses selectively and strategically.
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Some promoters of educational technology see COVID-19 as a ‘tech reckoning’ for professors who refused to accept progress. But before the pandemic, many students also preferred in-person classes.
In a time of COVID-19 uncertainty, adopting hybrid learning for children will only stress students and teachers further.
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Virtual education piggybacked onto classroom learning demonstrates a lack of respect for teachers, student equity and public education.
Flexible approaches to teaching and learning will likely feature significantly in our future, as we grapple with threats like climate change.
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Precarious academic work, stable funding, purposeful course design and greater attention to equity are issues that students and faculty want to see addressed.
The adverse effects of the pandemic on student learning loss and absenteeism mean Canada urgently needs a national vision for supporting this generation.
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Professor, Canada Research Chair in Determinants of Child Development, Owerko Centre at the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary