There are three ways you can support Turning the Page continue the programs listed below: order a grab-bag of #CuratedByCarpeLibrum books to be delivered in DC or Chicago; purchase a gift card to use at a future Carpe Librum pop-up or store; make a donation through our website.
As school systems have moved to distance learning in response to COVID-19, Turning the Page (TTP) created a comprehensive plan to increase access for families in DC and Chicago to tools and strategies that support overall student success and drive engagement while in isolation.
Our Response
Through our Digital Hub initiative, we are disseminating online resources daily through digital platforms in a way that is manageable, predictable, and digestible with low barriers to engagement. We are creating content that is visually engaging and uses “clear language” that is accessible for parents across individual educational levels. Our groundbreaking initiative First & Forever parent partnering program has transitioned to a phone-based model we call Mobile Meetings. These sessions with parents include identifying educational and basic needs, tailoring resources to individual families to support at-home learning, and creating predictable structures and routines for students which are proven to be essential for them to thrive and succeed. TTP is also hosting online events to maintain strong parent communities and help break down feelings of isolation during this exceptionally isolating time – we call this The Family Room. In these events, TTP also grants exclusive access to community resources and partners even when the physical sites are unavailable. Our very first event on April 2nd included a reading and Q&A session with Chicago-based children’s book author Lisa Maggiore.
A month into this transition, parent feedback is already very positive. “I’ve heard from [my child’s] teacher, who is great, but it means a lot that you called to ask how I’M doing in all of this,” said one parent in Chicago. “The school gave us books at [my daughter]’s reading level, but I want to be able to challenge her so she’s still learning and getting better,” said another parent. TTP staff were able to get her connected with the library app and Epic Books (and checking reading levels via Scholastic). We’ve also been working with a local foundation to try to bring tablets and laptops to many of the families we work with.
Challenges
Still, technological barriers continue to be a challenge. A parent with a 4th grader was frustrated with not being included in technology outreach – she has everything she needs in the realm of lessons and communication with teachers, but it sometimes takes 40 minutes to get her laptop turned on and it will shut off mid-work. Motivation has been a big challenge, particularly for more social, older kids. Parents are struggling to make them feel connected and like there’s a point to doing work at home. For one parent in particular, we talked about taking things they already enjoy (in this case, cooking) and infusing education by using measurements conversions, trying new recipes and brainstorming how to change or improve them and learning why different ingredients have different effects. Our programs have made an impact on our partners as well. “I really admire what Turning the Page is doing,” said Dr. Eve Boyle, a paleobiology researcher at Howard University. “The topic of your presentation today [Worthy Websites on April 16th] is such a good one and so important for learning online at home.”
We well know that “Summer Learning Loss” drastically affects students for the few months they are normally out of school – third-graders lose nearly 20% of their school-year gains in reading; in math the number is 27%. With schools now being closed throughout the rest of the school year in both DC and Chicago, these numbers could skyrocket. There is an urgent need for parents to step in now and know that they have the support system required for their children’s success.
Want to support the programs listed above? There are three ways you can help: order a grab-bag of #CuratedByCarpeLibrum books to be delivered in DC or Chicago; purchase a gift card to use at a future Carpe Librum pop-up or store; make a donation through our website.