Central Illinois school district implements ‘pajama ban’ for remote learning

You can’t score A’s in clothes meant for catching Zs.

A central Illinois school district is implementing a “pajama ban” for students during remote learning this fall.

The ban is part of a new at-home dress code from the school board in the town of Springfield, where students will have a mix of in-class and at-home instruction due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Hats, caps, bandanas, hoods of any type, sweatbands, sunglasses, pajama pants, slippers, or shoes with wheels attached to the bottom shall not be worn,” the district’s school handbook already states — and that applies at home as well, officials said.

Students also are banned from taking classes in bed and must have their computer cameras on and trained at themselves.

“In our regular student dress code, it actually states that pajama pants and so forth are not acceptable school apparel,” Jason Wind, the district’s director of school support, told school board members this week, NBC News reported.

“And so this remote learning information that we put in, with the students’ rights and responsibilities that will fall back under that dress code,” he went on.

“They must follow the dress code of the building, and so no pajama pants.”

The district will be sending 14,000 students back to school on Aug. 30, from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, according to NBC.

Students will spend two days in class for every three days of remote learning, with parents given the option to instead choose full-time remote classes.

Some district parents were reportedly puzzled by the at-home dress code.

One, John Freml, said the last thing kids needed was another barrier to learning.

“To put more barriers in place, ‘You have to sit at a table, you have to dress a certain way,’ does not make sense,” Freml told NBC News.

“We have to meet families where they are and not put up more restrictions,” he added.

How to Teach the Importance of Education to Children

Children at their earliest ages should learn and realize the importance of education in their lives. Some kids, however, may resist your efforts and insist on doing things their way. As a parent, your best teaching tool is your attitude. Having a positive attitude about reading and a curiosity about learning new things instills similar beliefs in your children. Show them that education is the ticket to fulfilling their dreams and having a productive life.

Teach the value of education early in a child's life. Children are naturally curious and observant. If they see you reading books and newspapers, they may be wondering why this activity holds such interest. Tell them that they need to learn to read to be able to also share such enjoyment. Read to them often help them develop their language skills.

Impress on children the importance of school. This means getting them to school on time and modeling the importance of punctuality. Take an interest in all their homework and make sure the required assignments are completed before the due dates.

Take your children to educational yet fun parks. Instead of taking them to the malls, take them to a museum, science center or zoo. Explain to them that continuing their education will allow them to understand more about the world around them. This strategy will certainly make them more motivated to learn and study.

Introduce the computer to children. Computers never fail to amaze people, especially young children. Let them play grade-level software games that will provide fun and entertainment. Emphasize to children that learning about computer use, videos and education go hand in hand.

Teach the importance of education daily. You could incorporate mathematics into daily tasks and situations. Have them help you count the number of cookies on a cookie pan. Their love for learning could start if you rely on them to do specific tasks. Incorporate counting, reading and writing within those simple tasks. For example, you could take them to the market and have them pick out a certain number items (like five apples or four oranges).

Enroll your children in schools. If you want them to love education, make sure to place them in an environment that fosters comfort, fun and learning at the same time. In addition, attend all the parent teacher conferences and become active in other school activities. Your child will notice and grow to respect the time you put into her education.

Early Childhood Development

Early Childhood Development is an investment for life. But in countries where poverty, armed conflict, natural disasters, and HIV and AIDS threaten a child's family and community support structures, Early Childhood Development (ECD) programs seldom take priority.

The evidence is mounting: increased global investment in children under 8 years of age today builds a better educated, prosperous, and peaceful citizenry tomorrow.

Children who participate in Early Childhood Development programs, when compared with children who don't, are more likely to enroll in school, plan their families, become productive adults, and educate their own children.

They also are less likely to repeat a grade, drop out of school, or engage in criminal activities.

Through interventions that engage young children, as well as their parents, caregivers, and communities, Save the Children's Early Childhood Development programs ensure that young children survive and thrive — that they are physically and emotionally healthy and intellectually curious — and school readiness programs prepare them for school success.

Early childhood, the period between birth and age 8, is the foundation of a child’s future health, growth, development and achievement at school and throughout life. Experiences during these early years shape brain architecture and have a direct impact on social, emotional and learning skills. This investment prospectus focuses on the first five years of a child’s life — an important window of opportunity in a child’s development.

The Need to Start Early

Why are early learning opportunities so important? During the first few years of life, approximately 700 neural connections are formed every second. These connections are dictated by the interplay of a baby’s genetics, environment and experiences, especially the child’s interactions with adults. These are the connections that build brain architecture — the foundation upon which all later learning and behavior depend.

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania studied the home environments of children at age 4 and again at age 8, and then observed their brain structure in late adolescence. They found that the amount of cognitive stimulation available at age 4 affected cortical thickness, which has been linked with intelligence, when these children’s brains were scanned many years later. And consistent with the importance of early experience, cognitive stimulation at age 8 did not show the same effects.

Children who are not exposed to early learning opportunities before age 5 are left at a distinct disadvantage.

Research from the Center for the Developing Child at Harvard University shows that differences in the sizes of children’s vocabularies first appear at 18 months of age. On average, children living in poverty have heard 30 million fewer words than their more affluent peers by the time they turn age 3. By age 5, half of all children living in poverty are not academically or socially ready to start school. Not only do these children start school at a disadvantage, many never catch up.