Categories
Action Plan For Students

New Funding Available From The Ontario Government

Are you a resident in Ontario? If so, did you know that you can apply for direct Catch Up payments to help pay for student learning support? These payments can range from $200 to $250 and are meant to fill gaps that may have emerged from the disruption of education due to COVID‑19. 

This is an important program that Ontario has specially developed for its residents, and it can provide invaluable support to those struggling with their educational needs. Altogether, this is a great opportunity to take advantage of if you’re an Ontario resident. The Ontario government wants its citizens to succeed and is providing these Catch Up payments as a way to do just that! And the best part – it can be used towards math help services such as Dropkick Math Academy!

Using The Ontario Catch-Up Payments

Ontario Catch Up payments are a great way to get the tutoring your child needs without breaking the bank. If you have been worried that your budget won’t cover costs, these Ontario-regulated payments can help lower fees and make tutoring more achievable. 

It’s an ideal solution for families needing assistance in math but who don’t want to spend too much money. With Ontario Catch Up payments, you can put worries about budget aside and focus on finding the right tutor, so your child gets the help they need at school.

Who Is Eligible?

Ontario families with students aged 18 and under enrolled in school are encouraged to take advantage of the recently announced catch-up payment. This payment provides financial support to Ontario households affected by COVID-19, allowing them to get back on their feet. Additionally, Ontario residents with children between 18 and 21 with special needs may also be eligible for this payment program. If you think you qualify for the Catch Up payments, please visit Ontario’s website for more details and eligibility criteria.

But don’t wait! The deadline to apply is March 31, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. EST.

How To Apply?

The Ontario government has made applying for the Catch Up payments easy. Simply visit their website and sign up through their secure website. You will need to create a profile to check the status of your application. Only one parent/guardian is eligible to apply and receive payment, and you must submit a separate application for each student 

For more information about applying for the Catch Up payments, visit the Ontario government FAQ page

Why Use Payment Towards Dropkick Math Academy?

We understand that you can hire any math tutor for your child. However, Dropkick Math Academy provides more than simple math tutoring—we provide an in-depth educational resource with professional and certified Ontario teachers who are passionate about helping your child understand the core concepts of mathematics. 

Dropkick Math is more than just an online math tutor. We are dedicated to making sure that each student has a custom-tailored approach that celebrates their unique talents and builds upon them so they can gain valuable knowledge for years to come. Academic success isn’t just about getting the right answers, it’s understanding why those answers are correct. Dropkick Math Academy ensures that your child understands how to get the answer and why it is correct every step of the way.

Game-Based Learning

Dropkick Math Academy has taken the educational approach to learning one step further. Instead of traditional instruction, Dropkick Math Academy incorporates game-based learning into its curriculum. Research shows that this hands-on approach is beneficial for children as they are more engaged and learn more when playing games. 

Dropkick Math Academy makes use of this research and enables children to have fun while they learn. This has translated into better performance in math and greater engagement during classes, making Dropkick Math Academy an ideal choice for any student wanting to improve their skills and learn math operations in a more enjoyable way.

At Dropkick Math, we prioritize that our games be tested and adjusted during creation to guarantee their effectiveness as learning tools. The courses are carefully designed with the most up-to-date educational approaches, thereby providing students with an optimal learning experience. Moreover, game elements can be quickly changed whenever new information becomes available or if the educational approaches need to be adjusted. This allows us to stay up to date and provide our students with the best resources for their success.

Recovering From The Pandemic

As the pandemic shifts to our rear mirror, research into the pandemic’s effect on our children’s education is just beginning to roll in. Of all the subjects that children have been impacted by, math has taken one of the hardest hits. With public school districts across the globe having little to no time to prepare for the massive shift in learning and teaching styles, many students fell behind in their math studies. 

Now our focus needs to be shifted towards bridging that gap of learning and bringing our students back up to speed. The pandemic has had a major effect on our children’s education, but its effects do not have to be lasting if we take action now.

As one of the fastest-growing programs in Ontario aimed at addressing the education gap experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dropkick Math addresses deficiencies while correcting any underlying misconceptions about mathematics. Owned and operated by Ontario teachers, Dropkick math is committed to students’ success in achieving competency in mathematics. 

Our programs allow students to learn foundational math skills and fill in any misunderstandings in mathematics while enabling them to discover new ways of learning while focusing on the four pillars of mathematics (number sense, operational sense, algebraic reasoning and proportional reasoning). Through proven strategies and manipulatives combined with an accelerated learning approach, we help students master math operations while boosting their confidence. 

Free Programs

At Dropkick Math, we proudly offer our math tutoring services as part of the Learning Action Recovery Plan. We have partnered with school boards throughout the province and are able to offer some students FREE programs. These programs are funded by the Ontario government and offer students math help services by certified Ontario teachers. 

Visit our page today to see if your child is eligible for funded programs. If your child is not registered in one of the school boards we currently partner with, the Ontario Catch Up funding is another great way to get started with our programs. 

Learn more about our programs and register your child for math tutoring today!

Categories
Back to School

Ontario Students Excited To Go Back To School Without COVID Restrictions

It is hard to believe that it’s already been over two years since the pandemic hit. For parents with school-aged children, the last couple of years has been a roller coaster ride of remote, hybrid, and in-person learning. With the recent announcement from the Ontario government that all students will be returning to in-person education full-time in September, without COVID restrictions, parents and students alike feel a sense of relief.

While the first few weeks of school are always stressful, in this day and age, back to school can make the calmest parent break a sweat. After all, this school year was the first to start without COVID-19 restrictions since the beginning of the pandemic.

Many students had become used to the routine of masks in the classroom and learning over Zoom. However, as most classrooms slowly get back to normal, children are thrilled to see their smiling friend’s faces in person. Many were looking forward to being able to participate in extracurricular activities again. In contrast, others are just excited to be able to talk to people in person again and not just through a screen. 

The Toll Of The Pandemic

With the province finally starting to open back up and restrictions beginning to ease, students are looking forward to returning to some semblance of normalcy. But what toll did the pandemic take on our children

It is easy to put the past behind us and think our children are resilient and will catch up easily, but unfortunately, research shows that this isn’t the case. In fact, studies are showing that the pandemic has had a devastating impact on learning. 

Not only have our children had to contend with online learning, but towards the end of last year, they have faced schools with severe staff shortages and high absenteeism rates. All of these products of the pandemic have caused students and educators to struggle with mental health challenges, misbehaviour, and lost learning time. 

What Does The Research Show?

Canada may still be working through their numbers, but we can see that math and reading test scores across the first two years of the pandemic showed a sizable drop in the United States. Achievement showed even more of a decline between fall 2020 and 2021 than between fall 2019 and 2020, indicating that disruptions to learning have negatively impacted children well past the initial school closures. 

Here in Ontario, initial findings have shown that impacts of the pandemic are concentrated in math. Reading achievement in the fall of 2020 was consistent with the prior year, but average math achievement was 5 to 10 percentile points lower than the previous fall. It was also noted that, on average, students made gains during the early phase of the pandemic; however, math gains were smaller than pre-pandemic trends. 

These numbers are alarming, but it in no way indicates that our children represent a lost generation or that we should give up hope. Since most of us have never lived through a pandemic before, there is so much we don’t know about students’ resiliency and what a timeline for recovery will look like. However, one thing we do know for sure is that our children need help.

Ontario’s Learning Action Recovery Plan

The Ontario government has taken steps to help students who may have fallen behind during the pandemic by releasing their Learning Action Recovery Plan. This plan outlines the importance of help for students in literacy, math, and mental health. It invests heavily in tutoring support and includes summer learning, a focus on reading, math and other foundational skills, as well as targeted initiatives intended to address unique barriers that some students may face. This will help bridge students’ learning gaps, support academic success, and focus on overall mental health and wellness. 

As part of this initiative from the Ontario government, we are able to offer our math programs at a subsidized rate. Over the past year, Dropkick Math has partnered with various school boards across Ontario to help give students access to the education they need for future success. 

A Different Solution To Hiring A Tutor

At Dropkick Math, we offer a different solution to hiring a tutor. We are a math intervention program that helps children focus on foundational math concepts (number sense, operational sense, algebraic reasoning, and proportional reasoning). By getting to the root cause of math misunderstandings, children will be able to thrive in mathematics by applying newly discovered techniques. 

We may not know exactly what impact the pandemic has had on our children’s future, but it is easy to see that some extra help during this time can make a significant difference. If you have been searching for a “math tutor near me,” look no further. We offer engaging programs taught by certified Ontario teachers who make learning fun.

Putting The Pandemic Behind Us

It’s clear that students are ready and eager to get back into the swing of things. Here’s hoping that the province continues on its current trajectory and that we can soon put this pandemic behind us once and for all. 

Learn more about our programs and how we can help your child put their pandemic education worries behind them.