Natalie Spadafora

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Educators in a study agreed that the scarcity of dedicated resources, time, attention and training on bias affected their ability to assess their students’ development as accurately as they would like. (Allison Shelley/The Verbatim Agency/EDUimages)

Do biases affect assessment in kindergarten? Educators discuss strategies for mitigation

Natalie Spadafora, McMaster University and Magdalena Janus, McMaster University

Results of a study suggest policy improvements are needed to provide educators with strategies to reduce bias around race, gender and socioeconomic status.
Ongoing monitoring of students in early grades will be important to identify how missing out on in-person classes has affected students. (Allison Shelley/The Verbatim Agency for EDUimages)

From full‑day learning to 30 minutes daily: The effects of school closures on kindergarteners

Natalie Spadafora, McMaster University and Magdalena Janus, University of British Columbia

The lack of a fully interactive environment in kindergarten due to pandemic school closures may negatively impact some children’s learning in later grades.
Kindergarten teachers were tasked with adapting a hands-on, play-based curricula in a virtual environment – a nearly impossible task even without parenting one’s own children at the same time. (Shutterstock)

Kindergarten educators with children at home struggled during the pandemic — mental health supports are needed

Natalie Spadafora, McMaster University and Magdalena Janus, McMaster University

Kindergarten educators who taught from home during COVID-19 and who were primarily responsible for their own children self-reported poorer mental health than those without these responsibilities.

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