School Trend Report 2026: subscribers

Primary Focus is dialed in to schools. All my videos, workshops, 1:1 calls, and content have to do with students Preschool - 5th grade talking directly with parents and caretakers. After watching closely the past year- here are my prediction for school trends in 2026...

WHAT'S IN FOR 2026

㊗ Language Programs:

Whether it's language immersion, bilingual programming, summer camp etc. learning another language is more important and popular than ever. Parents see the potential in raising a global child that can communicate in 2 or more languages.

✏️ Handwriting:

We’ve all heard people gripe about cursive not being taught any more, but after kindergarten handwriting is getting completely dropped. I don’t know if you’ve seen the kids’ handwriting lately…but they’re not ok! Some teachers have even taken their own initiative to bring back handwriting drills.

📳 Social Media (but not for kids):

I see a direct correlation with schools that have a strong social media presence and being popular. Yes, having a website is important, but people want real time proof that good things are happening at the school. If you work at a school and are reading this, I challenge you to find a way once a month to highlight some of the fun things happening. If you're searching for a school, don't let a lack of social media deter you. Schools can be amazing even without an online presence.

🎉 Curated Experiences:

From school house systems, to mini sports teams, to clubs, to spirit days and traditions schools are going out of their way to make students feel special. These things don’t even need to cost a lot of money- but they need to stop kids in their tracks to make them feel joy and community. What I love the most about these programs, is they take coordination from the larger community. If you’re the volunteering type, schools need your help to start these initiatives!

OUT

🤖 AI and excessive tech in classrooms:

One of the most common questions I get in calls is asking how much time students are spending on technology. One of my most popular tutoring requests is to support an older child with handwriting.

When I first started teaching in 2012, there was a push to get technology in schools; a dream for kids to be 1:1. Now most kids third grade and up spend their whole day on a laptop. The kids are almost too tech savvy! Time to get them face to face with their peers and holding a pencil. My suggestion to schools is instead of investing in tech- invest in staffing and curriculum!

🎂 Parents visiting in the cafeteria:

It’s not uncommon for schools to have a program where parents can drop in to have lunch with their child or stop by for their birthday. But schools have been tightening up on these initiatives. It can cause security concerns, food allergy scares, frustration from parents who can’t sign up in time, and tantrums from kids that struggle to transition back to class.

💯 Report Card Comments:

Teachers are busier than ever, so when it comes to report cards and progress reports a lot of them are copy + pasting their comments. I don’t blame them and I have personally done this. Further, report cards are legal documents, so teachers can feel anxious leaving the real feedback on them. They can be used in court for custody arrangements. They don’t want to wade into that!

Moreover, the report card should be the second or even third time you’ve received feedback about your child’s performance. I suggest checking in every 6ish weeks to see how your child is performing.

More from Primary Focus

🏠 4th Grade Parenting Playbook: 4th grade is tough! Here are teacher approved tips to best support your child during this pivotal year

🎁 Gift Guide: My annual teacher gift guide is out! Get some great ideas for individual and class gifts.

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Things I Love

👖 Best Jeans: I took a chance on some highly rated Amazon jeggings and was so pleasantly surprised!! These jeans are so soft and stretchy like leggings, but fit great. I've worn them twice and gotten ​so many compliments!​ Runs TTS and under $40!

🎅 Naughty or Nice: This impulse buy has been making me smile all day. I swear seeing Santa all day is the ​only thing keeping me nice​ this week 😜

🎵 Music Fun: I am obsessed with the game ​Hitster. ​I plan to bring it home to play with my family this Christmas. Listen to songs and take your best guess at what year they came out. The best part is, it makes you naturally share memories as you try to recollect when the song came out.

Have a safe and happy holiday season!