Alternative school schedules are making their way to more and more schools. Whether it’s a 4-day school week or shorter days during the week, the goals are often similar. School districts are trying to monitor their budgets, attract and retain teachers, and provide flexibility to their student body(1, 2). No matter the rationale or implementation, specific questions still arise: what is the overall impact on students, and what are these students doing when they are not in school?
According to a number of sources, the answers to these questions are still being researched. Student impact ranges from decreased absenteeism to improved academic achievement, but may also contribute to learning loss (2, 3). And, as for what these students are doing on the extra time outside of school, those options vary as well.
Some schools require students to attend at least 2 hours of virtual instruction while students from other schools may be attending sports practice, participating in mental health services, or spending more time with family (whether that be their parents who are able to coordinate their schedules or with extended relatives like grandparents) (1, 2, 3). Another subset, typically of high school students, use the time to volunteer or work (2,3). But, what about younger children whose guardians work and would still benefit from further educational instruction? Academic enrichment programs that spark their interest and can be combined with adult mentors and healthy snacks might be the best option.
Programs like this can be organized by the schools or run in partnership with local community organizations. Either way, a cornerstone of those programs that could help address potential math and ELA learning loss might be a STEAM learning program utilizing high-quality, hands-on projects like the ones offered by KiwiCo.
KiwiCo crates have been used to support student learning beyond the core day curriculum in a variety of ways. One school district in Illinois is using KiwiCo crates weekly for 40 weeks with their PreK through High School students to support an after-school academic program. Another school district in Southern California is selecting crates from our Atlas line to develop a summer program for elementary students to explore geography and STEAM topics. There is even an organization using selected crates to host science nights to engage families and students in STEM learning while encouraging and inspiring them to continue exploring scientific concepts on their own.
No matter how you are looking to further student education beyond the classroom, especially in situations where student time in a classroom during the year may be less (1, 4), we have options. Any of our education specialists would be happy to connect with you to discuss what options may work best for your program to support a shortened school week schedule. Review our offerings specifically for Schools & Groups, or reach out to set up a consultation.
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