【推荐1】My daughter, Liora Saraik, aged 13, is beautiful, positive and humorous. Her father and I love her, but she has life-long conditions: uncontrolled epilepsy and autism. She meets the government’s definition of vulnerable and should have been able to go to school when lockdown started.

So why are we not sending her to school? On the first day of the lockdown, I spoke to a school staff member on the phone. “It’s up to you, of course, but I wouldn’t send her,” he said. “I can’t see how it can be safe.”

Many of the pupils like Liora, can’t speak or understand simple words such as food, drink, toilet. They don’t know anything about the virus. Many are also violent to parents and teachers and they are not able to stop biting, punching and kicking. Liora is not violent to others, but she is to herself, banging her own head with her fists when in pain or frustrated.

Liora’s head teacher, Adrian Carver, says if he lets more children into school, they could simply die of contracting coronavirus. He has to run desperate parents away, which he hates doing, as he knows it is not easy for us.

But clearly he has no idea of how hard it is for thousands of families in the crisis to care for their vulnerable children full-time. Parents like myself can’t provide what a school can offer. We have constant big challenges with personal care, and with sleep deprivation, as our children are often up in the night. Without school, it’s not only our children who are vulnerable, it’s the whole family.

So what do we need? I want recognition at the highest level for families caring for their disabled children. I want professional carers to be valued and paid properly for their specialist skills caring for children like Liora. Skilled carers leave their jobs because their wages are so low. We parents are in a constant fight with each other, first to get carers and then to keep them — we are like rats in a trap.

【推荐1】At Ynez Library, we are champions of curiosity. At its core, our mission for nearly four centuries has been to advance the learning, research, and pursuit of truth. Our efforts are motivated and powered by working collaboratively, embracing diverse perspectives, championing access, aiming for the extraordinary, and always leading with curiosity.

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【推荐2】Music makes life better in many ways. The fact that music can make a difficult task more tolerable may be why students often choose to listen to it while doing their homework. But is listening to music the smart choice for students who want to optimize their learning? A new study suggests that for some students, listening to music is a wise strategy, but for others, it isn’t. The effect of music on cognitive(认知的) functioning appears to depend partly on your personality — specifically, on your need for external stimulation.

Researchers not only assessed listeners’ personality but also changed the difficulty of the task and the complexity of the music. Participants first completed a personality test used to determine the need for external stimulation. They then engaged in an easy cognitive task (searching for the letter A in lists of words) and a more challenging one (remembering word pairs). Participants finished both tasks under one of two sound conditions: (1) no music, (2) with music.

The data suggest that for those with a high need of external stimulation, on the simple task of finding A’s, such subjects’ scores for the music condition were significantly worse than those for the silent condition. On the complex task of learning word pairs, their performance was worse whenever music was played. For those with a low need of external stimulation, however, on the simple task of findings A’s, such participants’ scores for the music condition were dramatically better than those for the silent condition. On the complex task of learning word pairs, the participants showed a small but reliable benefit when listening to music.

According to the study, there are substantial individual differences in the impact of music on cognitive function, resulting in personalized recommendations regarding its presence in the classroom. Students who are easily bored and who seek out stimulation should be cautious of adding music to the mix. On the other hand, students with a low need for stimulation may benefit significantly from the presence of music.

With the right personality, the right music and the right task, the presence of music may significantly improve cognitive functioning. Given the benefits of music, subscription to Spotify just might pay for itself.

【推荐1】Many American education experts say tutoring (辅导) is the best way to help students make up for learning loss during the pandemic. Although many schools have received a lot of government aid, only a small number of students have been getting tutored.

Chalkbeat and the Associated Press surveyed 12 of the nation’s school systems. The schools reported that fewer than 10 percent of students received any kind of tutoring in the fall of last year. A new tutoring group in Chicago served about three percent of students. But less than one percent of students in three big school systems received tutoring.

The low tutoring numbers suggest several problems. Some parents said they did not know tutoring was available or did not think their child needed it. Some school systems have struggled to hire tutors. Other school systems said their small tutoring programs were part of their efforts to meet students’ needs.

Whatever the reason, the result is clear: at an important time for students’ recovery, millions of children have not received the extra help.

“It works, it’s effective, it gets students to improve in their learning and catch up,” said Amie Rapaport, a researcher studying why so many students are not getting intensive tutoring.

Schools trying to increase tutoring face problems, including hiring and planning. Experts say tutoring is most effective when provided three times a week for at least 30 minutes during school hours. Offering after-school or weekend tutoring is simpler, but attendance is often low.

Low family interest has been another problem. Although test scores sharply dropped during the pandemic, many parents do not believe their children experienced learning loss.

In Wake County, North Carolina, the school district began planning a reading tutoring program in November. District officials last month said volunteers are tutoring fewer than 140 students. That is far fewer than the 1,000 students the program was designed to help. Many worry that not enough students are getting the help they need even as programs continue to grow.

【推荐2】“I wish I grew up back in your childhood,” my 14-year-old son said to me. He has an iPhone that is newer than mine. He has many kind friends. There are many forms of entertainment today and he can find nearly all of human knowledge through the Internet. However, he wishes he grew up in the 1970s and 1980s. “Why?” I asked. My son’s answer involves freedom, risk and over-involvement of adults in kids’ lives.

My son has heard his dad tell stories of summer days at the river with his friends. They would jump off the wooden bridge into the water below. My son lives just a few blocks from the same river and the same bridge. The town hasn’t changed, but times have changed. My son knows that if he and his friends try to jump off the bridge and swim as his dad did many times, the most likely outcome (结果) is that some kind adults will call the police.

At 14, an age at which, in generations past, most boys were contributing to the well-being of their families by working, and my son is ready, able and willing to put his skills and strength to the test in the real world. However, he, like so many other American boys and girls, is prevented by a culture that seems to have raised safety to the highest regard, without considering how a lack of risk might negatively affect kids’ development.

Let kids try some risky things — cutting the lawn; using tools and sharp knives; starting a fire; cooking — under the supervision (监管) of an adult who tells them safety rules. Allow your kids to gradually take more responsibility. A kid who helps prepare and cook meals will be better prepared to cook independently.

Above all, encourage and praise your kids’ determination. Their desire to deal with challenges and take risks will serve them well in the years to come.