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A handful of studies from the U.S. have been able to estimate students’ learning growth during school closures last spring compared to prior years. These studies do vary in how severe they gauge the “COVID slide,” but on average, students have lost more ground in math compared to reading.
Students made gains during the 2020-21 school year at a lower rate compared to pre-pandemic trends, especially between winter and spring.
Students ended the year with lower achievement compared to a typical year, with larger declines relative to historical trends in math (8 to 12 percentile points) than in reading (3 to 6 percentile points).
Experts believe math may be more sensitive to pandemic-related disruptions for a few reasons, including, difficulty in learning virtually, math anxiety, and more.
Unfortunately, the stress of the pandemic has exacerbated math anxiety in many students, leaving them with a much worse situation than before school closures and virtual learning.
Studies show that children are not gaining the education they need through virtual learning. With many children missing out on in-classroom interaction, they are falling behind in mathematics.
With the gap in math learning now evident in students, it may be a genuine concern that there may be a real STEM crisis. North America is already falling behind in some of the most critical areas of education that could threaten the growing workforce.
INFORMATION SOURCES
Learning during COVID-19: Reading and math achievement in the 2020-2021 school year by NWEA
High-quality education must be made available to all children. Unfortunately, COVID has placed restrictions on in-person learning over the last couple of years, interfering with the quality of learning they would generally receive.
Unless steps are taken now to address students’ unfinished learning from the pandemic, irreparable damage may be done. Here at Dropkick Math, we understand the opportunity to help students catch up on unfinished learning from the pandemic and tackle long-standing learning gaps that may have been previously missed.
At Dropkick Math, we understand the last 18 months have been tough. Dropkick Math can help reduce the gaps in your child’s education, allowing them to get caught up and reach their true potential.
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By learning math along with your child, you can become a role model for them. Try to talk out loud as you work your way through everyday tasks. This way, they will see you using mathematics in daily life and will want to mimic your behaviour.
Ensuring that a child doesn’t fall behind in mathematics requires parent involvement. As the last year has shown, it is not enough for students to attend virtual classes and work independently. Parents need to become more involved in the education process and learn alongside them.
No matter how you feel about math, and if you suffer from math anxiety, it is imperative not to talk negatively about the subject. The more often children hear negative attitudes towards math, the more deep-rooted their dislike for mathematics may become.
INFORMATION SOURCES
Learning during COVID-19: Reading and math achievement in the 2020-2021 school year by NWEA
