How To Address the Learning Gap of Your Kids

Parents and teachers are worried about the learning gaps resulting from school closures. Here’s how you can address those learning gaps.

Our concept of education has been irreversibly altered by the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought parents and children into digital classrooms (even at the kitchen table). Parents and teachers now have to exert more effort to close kids’ learning gaps.

In 2008, a nonprofit educational organization for online learning, Khan Academy, was founded. While doing a job as a hedge fund analyst in 2004, I tutored a cousin who needed help with academics. As news spread in my family that free tutoring was available, I found myself working with more than a dozen relatives every week, all of whom were eager to learn.

To think that my work from years ago would still be so relevant now is beyond my comprehension. When the pandemic struck, digital education went from being a nice-to-have to an urgent necessity for a large number of families and schools.

It doesn’t matter how vital digital learning is, I’d rather have a wonderful teacher than an excellent piece of technology any day. The good news is that today, nearly all children are back in school with a teacher to help them along the way.

They’re also diagnosing and beginning to solve the learning gaps that have emerged since the outbreak, among other items on their to-do lists as educators. However, as parents and caregivers, we can do a great deal to assist our children at home. What I’ve learned from Khan Academy and as a father of three kids, ages seven, ten, and thirteen, is this: 

Prioritize Your Own Well-Being.

We can better provide for our children when we take better care of ourselves. It’s easy for children to pick up on their parents’ stress, exhaustion, or overwork. As a result, a conducive learning atmosphere is not created. As a result, invest in your own well-being.

Take a few minutes to meditate every morning, if you like. To put it another way, I’m able to focus better and more efficiently throughout the day because of this. If you want to be your best parent, you need to take care of yourself so that you can be the best parent you can be for your child.

This is one of the best ways you can address your kids’ learning gaps.

Related article: What You Can Do to Prevent Passing On Your Anxiety to Your Children

Build a Growth Mindset in Your Child

In many ways, the brain resembles a muscle, as scientists have known for some time. Using it more often increases its size. Researchers have discovered that when we make mistakes when attempting tough activities, new brain connections are formed and strengthened. What this means is that our intellect is not fixed, and the greatest approach to increasing our intelligence is to take on things that we may struggle with or perhaps fail at.

Start educating your child on how to be successful so that they can cultivate a growth mentality. “I know you’re trying hard,” you can say to your child when they’re having a hard time. Tell them they haven’t learned something if they haven’t. Do not reward your child for doing well at things they’re already good at but rather for persevering through challenges. Do not focus on the result but on the process. So great is a growth attitude that this is possible.

Related article: Raising a Resilient Child

Develop a Regular Routine for Academic Study.

The pandemic greatly impacted the students’ abilities in math and reading. To find out if your child is having difficulties:

1. Contact your child’s teacher.
2. Set aside 20 minutes a day if they’re still working with you.
3. Spend that time working on the exercises their teacher has prescribed.

Paying for pricey instructors is unnecessary. In arithmetic, search for online programs that are personalized for your child and that relieve you of the responsibility of teaching them. 

Keep in mind the marathon, not the sprint.

As long as the pace remains sustainable for the long term, I believe that 20 minutes a day can help kids catch up (and even move ahead). The temptation to spend hours doing homework at home is strong, but the stress and anxiety that come from overworking kids can have the opposite effect. Instead, encourage them to learn at a steady pace and provide them with the tools they need to succeed.

Make it clear to them that you’d like to spend some time each night working on the “unfinished learning” that they missed during their time at remote schools. Set reasonable expectations for how long it will take them to re-acquaint themselves with the material. 

Always be available for communication.

Your child’s teacher is a good source of information for you throughout the school year. Make sure you’re staying on top of things at home by checking in every now and then to make sure you’re on track. Discuss how your child’s progress will be measured and how you will know if they are making improvements. Inquire your instructor about summer learning opportunities at the end of the school year.

It’s equally crucial that you chat to your child throughout the year about their growth. Don’t be pessimistic! Empowering them is the best approach to ensure their success. Celebrate even the tiniest of victories, no matter how insignificant they may seem.

These are just some of the ways you can take as to how you can address your kids’ learning gaps.

Related articles: Setting Up a Rewards Program for Children the Right Way, The Effects of Online Education on Young Learners, How To Teach Teenagers Time Management!