PORTLAND, Ore. — As a second-grade teacher and mom of two, Kathleen Law knows what a struggle the past year has been.
After seeing how many families were concerned about their kids falling behind in school, she decided to funnel her expertise into an easy-to-use platform: Instagram.
“Many families are worried about their readers falling behind," Law said. "I specifically started the page for families who were reaching out saying, ‘I really need help with my child. I'm worried they are going to fall behind, what can I do?’”
Law shares short videos on her Instagram @EducatorKathleen and often focuses on reading tutorials for pre-K through third grade. She is certified in the Orton-Gillingham method, a multi-sensory learning approach.
“We are using lots of textures and sights and sounds,” Law said.
She uses things she has around the house to sound out letters and words. In several videos, she uses chalk, rice and sand to help students learn to spell or enunciate words.
People all over the world have reached out to Law for guidance, including Jimmarie Rodriguez, who lives in Mexico and follows Law’s Instagram tutorials.
“She shares a lot of good tips,” said Rodriguez. “I needed help. My daughter is 6 years old and with the pandemic, it's been really hard to teach her how to read."
Law said the best thing parents can do to help their children is to prioritize reading for 15-20 minutes each day. For younger kids, following along with them is key.
“While you're reading, point to the words, stop and talk about what's going on with the pictures and then ask questions and make predictions,” Law said.
For older kids, Law recommends setting a timer and making sure a child is reading books they will be highly interested in. Another tip is to listen to audio books together.
She says parents shouldn't forget to rely on their local library for new books as a way to keep their child interested in reading.
“You can also do a book bundle where you tell them what kind of books your child likes and you go and pick them up and you get to rent them for so long and then you can return them,” Law said.
As students get back to some sense of normalcy and return to the classroom, Law said it’s important to remember everyone is going through this together.
“Just know that you are not alone. I think this has given parents an opportunity to get a glimpse into what is expected of them of their grade level," she said. "I've had a lot of parents ask and want to be more involved. So, I'm hoping this is a good thing."
Law's website includes free printable incentives and exercises.
She also recommends the websites Understood and Reading Rockets if parents have concerns about where their child is at in reading.