In these troubling times, education for the young has taken a new form to accommodate the circumstances, though not all of it is welcome. Some students find themselves using new online tools to learn while others find their parents becoming their teacher.

Alicia Togue, who has children in both fifth and sixth grade, has had experience in teaching, which she believes offers them an advantage and a unique experience compared to most kids.

Togue says that her children’s education is going well with her being able to teach them all of the core subjects, though she notes that it would be far harder if her kids were older. That being said, Togue did comment that her children miss the social interaction with their peers.

Alida Carter also has children in fifth and sixth grade, as well as one child in first grade. They meet with their teacher online, the first grader meeting three times a week while the fifth and sixth grader only meet their teacher once a week. Carter said that the first grader seemed to be enjoying remote learning, but her other children were not. Carter believes that her children are not getting all of the education that they need.

Suzanne Binkney, who has children currently in pre k, believes that education is not as productive during these times, with academics progressing slowly and her children not getting therapy. Her children also have the benefit of having a parent who was once a teacher. Binkney’s children are communicating with their teachers via email, with the option of video chat. Their teachers record lessons for their students and post work online. In terms of core subjects, Binkneey’s children are learning math, ELA, and social studies just fine.