Majority of Canadian Parents Worry Their Children are Falling Behind in Their Studies

Survey by Osmo finds more than half of parents are overwhelmed trying to balance homeschooling with work demands

TORONTO, April 30, 2020 /CNW/ - While some parts of the country are starting to loosen restrictions implemented due to COVID-19, school reopenings are still a long way off leaving parents and caregivers adding the role of teacher to their already laundry list of responsibilities. With new research from Osmo, provider of fun and engaging educational tools for kids, revealing three in five of these parents having a newfound respect for teachers and 40 per cent stating teachers deserve a pay raise, it's clear many families are finding homeschooling a challenge.

With seventy-one percent of Canadian parents and caregivers still working an average of six hours a day, lack of time is clearly one factor making home education difficult. However, parents are also questioning their ability to teach some subjects to their children. Canadian parents and caregivers ranked mathematics (89%), reading (83%) and science (72%) as the top three subjects they think are the most important for their child to continue to learn about while at home. However, mathematics and science were the top two subjects that parents felt like they couldn't pass should they be tested today.

"It's clear that Canadian parents and caregivers are doing their best to juggle schooling and work commitments, but it's not easy - in fact, three in five are concerned their children are falling behind in their studies," said Pramod Sharma, CEO and Co-Founder of Osmo. "Rather than putting all the onus on their own shoulders, I recommend parents look for tools and resources that empower children to learn independently, giving parents some much-needed time back to focus on work."

Some parents are already turning to a variety of resources to keep their children learning throughout the day, including: workbook and worksheets (68%); video conferences with teachers (53%); reading aloud (40%) and education television shows (38%).  More than half are finding that games on tablet/mobile devices, such as Osmo, are effective in that they are educational and fun at the same time, so kids enjoy the time they spend learning about math, science, coding, reading and more. This might be the key for the 69% of parents who wish they had more engaging activities for their children.

Other interesting findings include:

• Passing the time: the top five activities parents have done with their children since being home include: watching tv/movies (90%); school work (82%); games on tablet/mobile device (74%); drawing (53%); and playing outside (49%)
• Staying on schedule: the country is divided when it comes to creating a daily schedule for children during this time - 53% have a plan while 47% go with the flow
• Free for all: 59% of kids have between 4 and 7 hours of free time each day
• Class time: almost half of all parents (49%) dedicate 2 to 3 hours a day for education at home
• Your attention, please: 1 in 3 parents plan to be more engaged in their child's education following COVID-19

During the month of May, Osmo for Schools is offering special promotions for teachers, including 50% some items and free shipping to Canada: https://schools.playosmo.com/

Osmo can be found in Canada at the following retail partners:
Best Buy
Amazon
Indigo
Mastermind Toys
Walmart.ca

About Osmo
Osmo is building a universe of hands-on play experiences that nourish the minds of children by unleashing the power of imagination. The company brings physical tools into the digital world through augmented reality and its proprietary reflective artificial intelligence.

Founded in 2013 by ex-Google engineers Pramod Sharma and Jerome Scholler, the Osmo Play System fuses digital gameplay and physical interaction to create fun and nutritious play experiences designed for all kids. Its universe spans twelve titles, including Super Studio, Coding Awbie, and Masterpiece, which respectively teach creativity, computer science, and drawing. Osmo is headquartered in Palo Alto, California. Join in on the fun at PlayOsmo.com. Osmo is part of BYJU'S - The Learning App

Survey Methodology: OnePoll conducted a custom survey of 1,000 Canadian parents of school-age children whose children are home due to COVID-19 between April 14, 2020 - April 21, 2020.

SOURCE Tangible Play Inc.

contact Jena Raj / [email protected]