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Learning support options for kids amid school board labour dispute

Advice for parents to help keep kids’ learning on track
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The teacher strikes currently affecting Ontario students have many families rightly concerned. Parents are looking for care for their school-aged children and worry about possible gaps in their learning. 

Kim Chapman, Centre Director at the Oxford Learning Centre in Guelph, understands the tough spot parents are in. Many support the teachers and question the government’s approach. That said, they’re also concerned about their children falling behind in school. 

“It’s hard for me because I’m very pro-teacher myself,” says Chapman, whose background is also in education. 

Tutoring centres like Chapman’s work hard to provide additional academic support for students year-round. They help kids from as young as age three right through to first- or second-year university.

“Let’s face it, the kids have missed enough school by now that they’re probably falling behind in the curriculum. We really work to make sure that we can catch them up,” she says.

Kids need to get the extra help now, Chapman advises. With math, in particular, keeping up is critical; she sees a lot of students coming in who really struggle in the subject. If your child is having difficulty, get help sooner than later and follow up with your child’s teacher regularly, keeping the lines of communication open. 

“Now, with so much missed school there’s going to be that much more curriculum that is missed. If kids are in one of those pivotal years—grade 8 especially, going into grade 9—then you’ve got a bigger problem. It’s very concerning,” she says.

While every school year is important, it can be argued that specific years really do hold extra weight: the transition from grade three to grade four is key, as is grade six to grade seven. “Those big EQAO years are very important,” says Chapman. While not an advocate for standardized testing herself, she does recognize the significance of those critical junctures. 

Kids who haven’t yet mastered the basics in math—through no fault of their own—come to the centre looking for help. The curriculum as currently written doesn’t work for many students and by the time they hit high school the effects are impossible to ignore, resulting in trouble with fractions and algebra, for example. 

No parent ever wants to see their child feel demoralized. Most will do whatever they can to help. Another big area of need for students in Guelph is French, including those who are in an immersion program.

Chapman’s centre hosts day camps while the teachers are out on strike. They run a full day of activities and education, a mix of fun and learning. The cost is $45 per day; students simply need to bring a packed lunch and some snacks. Before and after care is also available, should parents require it. 

Certainly, not everyone can afford to send their child to tutoring lessons, especially when it is an unanticipated expense. The cost of additional instruction is simply out of reach for many. Chapman suggests parents talk to their child’s teacher at school and find out which areas they may be weaker in—and do this right away, she stresses. “There are tons of great educational resources available online,” she says, “you just have to take action and search them out.”

Oxford Learning Centre offers a variety of day camps and educational activities throughout the year. Learn more about the many programs available.