This past summer, AIR and Early Edge California collected data from early learning programs throughout the state of California to understand how programs have adapted during COVID as well as the types of supports that would be most helpful to them.
Recently, AIR and Early Edge released the third in a series of briefs summarizing the survey findings. This brief focuses on family engagement and dual language learning activities during the first several months following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following is a summary of the brief’s key insights. You can learn more about the survey and read the full report here.
Key Insights:
The majority of programs engaged families to support children’s learning at home.
86% of centers and 62% of family child care homes offered parents ideas for activities to do with their children.
69% of centers and 39% of FCCHs provided books and/or hands-on learning activities to families.
42% of centers and 27% of FCCHs that serve DLLs provided books and/or hands-on learning activities in the home language to families of DLLs.
Many centers engaged children directly in virtual learning experiences, but few FCCHs did so, and real-time interactions for DLLs were not common among centers or FCCHs serving DLLs.
74% of centers and 29% of FCCHs provided real-time interaction with children via video call.
43% of centers and 20% of FCCHs provided real-time interaction with children via video call in the home language.
Programs focused additional attention on supporting children’s social and emotional well-being.
86% of programs said their distance learning focussed on social-emotional well-being.
91% of programs want more resources and guidance on how to support children’s social-emotional well-being during this time.
