After several waves of COVID-19 infection surging within the province and across the country, the pandemic has disrupted schooling for millions of students at every level. A recent report estimates that children have lost two thirds of an academic year due to school closure (UNESCO, 2021). Students with learning disabilities and other challenges are losing prior knowledge gains and often struggle to keep up with the material in their classes. The impact of the interruption will likely be steeper for students in the higher grades, and particularly in cumulative subjects such as math(Cooper et al., 1996). According to a 2020 study by McKinsey & Company, the amount of learning students lose during COVID-19 school closures depends on “access to remote learning, the quality of remote instruction, home support, and the degree of engagement.”
No educational program is as effective in accelerating the reading and math achievement of struggling students as structured one-to-one and small-group tutoring (Slavin et al., 2020). One of the oldest and most versatile forms of education, frequent and individualized tutoring yields “consistent and substantial positive impacts on learning outcomes” that are particularly strong among the earlier grades (Nickow et al., 2020). When it comes to remediating the learning loss caused by the pandemic, tutoring can address knowledge gaps and help students get back on track when they are falling behind.
Evoke’s summer learning programs offer our clients an opportunity to catch up on important content in the curriculum, identify and remediate missing skills and information, and prepare to move to the next grade level. Summer is the perfect time to take advantage of our flexible scheduling—students can engage from wherever they are and choose from a wide range of days and times.
Let us help your child maintain academic momentum and prepare for the following school year. Our tutors, coaches, and mentors are experts in engaging with students online, whether you’re in a condo or at the cottage. We’d love to hear from you.
