The Wisconsin State Journal utilized the expertise of UW–Madison’s Beth Graue in an article providing parents with advice on how to approach the upcoming school year, given that many school districts are beginning the year with hybrid or virtual learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Graue is the Sorenson Professor of Early Childhood Education with the School of Education’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction. She also leads the Center for Research on Early Childhood Education, housed within the Wisconsin Center for Education Research.
“She’s also a former kindergarten teacher,” notes the article. “Her research focuses on how school policies translate into opportunities for teachers, students, and families.”
The State Journal asked Graue a number of questions about how parents can address the issues surrounding the return to school, the concerns she is hearing from early education leaders and parents, and how to support online learning.
Graue advised parents to be willing to accept uncertainty as they approach the return to school this fall.
“I think a lot of parents try to figure out how to get the best fit for their child and the pandemic has made it so that choice isn’t necessarily an option,” she said.
“I think being willing to learn new things to support your child in this very unusual period … and being kind to yourself as a parent … that you can’t know everything … are the only things that I think of that are going to work.”
For more of Graue’s insights, read the full article on the Wisconsin State Journal website, here.