Elementary School
Education news, analysis, and opinion about schools serving the lower grades, typically up to 5th, and their students
Student Well-Being
COVID-19 Vaccines for Kids Are Coming. How Many Parents Will Opt for the Shot?
Getting students vaccinated will make in-person learning safer as well as more consistent and manageable, experts argue.
Student Well-Being
COVID-19 Vaccine for Children 5 to 11 Clears Hurdle to Emergency Approval
But some members of the FDA's vaccine advisory panel raised concerns that schools may prematurely mandate the vaccine for younger children.
Teaching
The Tough Task Ahead for 1st Grade Teachers
Many children missed out on kindergarten or experienced a more disrupted version. Now, 1st grade teachers will have to fill in the gaps.
Reading & Literacy
Pandemic Prompts Some States to Pass Struggling 3rd Graders
As families wrestle with online learning, a pandemic economy and mental health difficulties, some states are delaying 3rd grade retention.
Teaching
Opinion
The 10 Zoom Commandments for Elementary School Teachers
Remote learning can feel like trying to play soccer on the moon, but there still are basic principles of teaching we can cling to, writes Justin Minkel.
School & District Management
What the Research Says
How Can Video-Conferenced Lessons Affect Learning for the Youngest Students?
There has been very little research on very young students learning remotely, but emerging research on video lessons could provide clues for educators working to stem learning loss.
Classroom Technology
Teaching Reading During COVID-19: Frustrated Students, Tech Challenges
First grade teacher Claudia Margaroli talks about the difficulties of teaching reading remotely and how she is trying to adjust.
Reading & Literacy
How to Use Digital Reading Programs During COVID-19. Teachers Still Matter
There’s little evidence on how the best practices for teaching reading should be translated to remote or hybrid learning environments.
Classroom Technology
COVID-19 Forces the Question: Should the Youngest Learners Have Devices?
The coronavirus school building closures are leading to some tough decisions now—instead of years down the road—about providing iPads and Chromebooks, even for kindergartners.
Student Achievement
Districts' Summer School Plans on Shaky Ground
Only one-quarter of the nation’s school district leaders say they have fully developed plans to offer summer learning, according to an EdWeek Research Center survey.
Student Well-Being
How Is COVID-19 Affecting Children's Health? 4 Questions Answered
The medical field's understanding of how the new coronavirus affects children and how they can spread it is rapidly evolving. Here’s the latest for school leaders weighing reopenings.
School & District Management
How COVID-19 Will Balloon District Costs This Coming School Year
A new analysis says the nation's schools will need to spend $41 billion more in the 2020-21 academic year as the fast-moving recession driven by the coronavirus pandemic boosts costs for everything from remote learning to school meals.
School & District Management
Teachers at Higher Risk of COVID-19 Wonder: Should I Even Go Back?
As schools discuss reopening, experts say the best way to protect vulnerable teachers might be to not have them in school buildings at all.
Classroom Technology
'Summer Melt' Could Be a Flood as Seniors Shift College Plans
Faced with uncertainty, new financial concerns, and the prospect of more remote learning, and confusion, a growing number of college-bound high school seniors are reconsidering where and whether they’ll pursue higher education.