From COVID to teacher strikes, students around the world have faced many unexpected interruptions to their learning in the past few years. These interruptions are more than just an inconvenience, they can contribute to ‘learning loss’ in the short or even long term. But there’s no need to panic! There are solutions in sight, and they aren’t as difficult or complicated to implement as you may think.

How parents can help children with learning loss

There are two main types of learning loss: learning loss due to interrupted studies (pandemic learning loss, interrupted learning, and summer learning loss) and learning loss due to a struggling school system that lacks a coherent approach to learning.

In each case, parents can help their children with learning loss by taking a few extra steps. The benefits will be lifelong, and you could even create some lovely memories along the way.

1. How to recover from learning loss due to interrupted studies

Everyone went through their own unique experience as a result of school closures during the pandemic. Some families found it nearly impossible to keep their child or children learning, while others found a new rhythm – so much depended on individual circumstances, such as whether primary caregivers had to work outside of the home, and other factors like stress.

Often, the only option was to scale back on school in a major way, or stop ‘learning’ altogether. This is of course, in a way, ridiculous. Children are always learning! Maybe not learning exactly what we want them to learn . . . but they are learning alright.

So I would argue that was no learning loss during COVID, there was just a big change. Children perhaps learned more about and from their immediate environment during this time, than from schoolwork and classrooms.

The learning environment that never stops

We all know that our surroundings have a huge impact on our mood, our ability to think, and our health. Many parents agree that keeping a connection to nature, even if just through a houseplant or a pet rock, will help children thrive and learn lessons that truly do last a lifetime, regardless of whether schoolwork has had to take a backseat for a while.

In short, the biggest single gesture parents can make to help their children recover from learning loss, is to focus on creating a nurturing environment. Even simple rainy day activities have an impact!

My heartfelt advice to parents grappling with their child’s learning loss is to find your meadow. It doesn’t have to be a literal field; it can be any place where nature speaks and plays. Let them touch the earth, listen to the birds, and chase the wind. These experiences are more than just play; they’re deeply educational and healing. They teach patience, observation, and a love for the living world, reawakening a child’s natural desire to learn and explore. This connection to nature, this bond we share with the earth, is a timeless educator, one that nurtures not just the mind, but the soul. Agnieszka Rusinek, CEO, Meadow’s Tale

Please note that is supremely difficult as a parent to face the limitations of what is available, both to us and to our families, when we realize the impact our environment has on our children (and ourselves). But even if we live in the middle of a big city (as we do), it’s possible to make the most of whatever nature we can get to, and whatever clean spaces we can find. And I do believe that our attitude toward whatever environment we are in plays a big role.

2. How to recover from learning loss due to a struggling school system

One surprising outcome of COVID closures was the realization by many families that their children were not making the kind of progress they had been led to believe, while they were at school. I have personally heard numerous accounts of parents being surprised at their child’s level of knowledge, with school marks and assessments not necessarily accurately reflecting what their students knew. Parents were shocked to discover children being awarded high marks for work that was not up to par, and using textbooks that did not offer consistent, coherent content.

To put it bluntly, the school system has been struggling for many years, and in some cases, students are now struggling along with it.

Changing school ‘norms’

With the general shift toward encouragement, enthusiasm and non-judgement – initially a healthy reaction to the old-fashioned methods of fear, punishment, humiliation that reigned in the past – we now see many classrooms in which everything is supposed to be ‘fun’. Some essential skills that require a more focused approach, like memorization and handwriting, are falling by the wayside.

Teachers are overloaded and do not have the resources (a broad term that includes both materials and an attitude) to keep children learning as they used to. They are expected to please everybody, which we all know is impossible. It has become more and more difficult for schools to pick a teaching style and stick with it.

Learning online is further complicating the issue, as computer-based interaction has its limits.

All this to say that learning loss is a problem that many students face, and not only due to COVID and school closures, but also to a lack of teachers (here in Quebec especially) and a system that is not quite sure how to achieve its goals, or what those goals are.

If you are facing uncertainty about your child’s progress, and are not sure what to do about it, rest assured there are ways you can supplement their learning.

Recover from learning loss via at-home education

The first step is to establish a consistent home study routine, even if this only means setting aside a couple of hours each weekend to delve into a subject you really value, and helping your child make some progress. This bit of extra ‘work’ can become a treasured memory, and go a log way toward preventing learning loss.

One solid piece of advice I’d give is to create a consistent and supportive learning environment at home. Kids thrive on routine, so try to establish a daily schedule that includes dedicated study time, breaks, and maybe even some fun educational activities. 

Also, make sure to communicate openly with your child’s teachers to understand their progress and any areas that may need extra attention. Lastly, don’t forget to celebrate the small victories along the way—it’s all about progress, not perfection. Samantha Odo

Next, you can turn to individual resources (no need to purchase an entire textbook) that you can use to help your child explore a topic they are interested in and hone their skills. Here are few suggestions:

A) Handwriting (penmanship) exercises

Penmanship exercises have gone out of style, but writing by hand is proven to be a valuable tool for note-taking (writing notes helps you learn in a better way than tapping on a screen). Stronger fingers can more easily manage a pen or pencil. If your child could benefit from some extra exercises to improve their manual dexterity and therefore their handwriting, try drawing exercises aimed at improving handwriting, a knitting course, or cut and paste Great Art paper puzzles.

B) Grammar workbooks

Some students find Grammar especially challenging. Today’s methods for teaching about sentence structure, clauses and phrases can be complicated. We’ve returned to solid, proven old-fashioned methods with our grammar textbooks. Each resource includes explanations, exercises, examples and assignments – on cheery topics like moose (who may or may not wear socks) , snowy owls, geese (being followed by a pair of clumsy photographers), and more.

C) Reading and writing resources

Some students need more than what is provided at school when it comes to reading and writing, especially when it comes to making the transition from middle school to high school. If you suspect that your child is suffering from learning loss because their English language arts curriculum is not providing the challenge it should, know there are plenty of resources you can procure that will allow you to work through a novel and dig deeper, read a play by Shakespeare or even complete simple reading and writing exercises (using interesting age-appropriate topics, inspired by the tried and true format of old-fashioned ‘readers’) on your own time. Individual lessons can be an excellent method for introducing students to great literature in manageable quantities, at their own pace. There is no need to suffer from learning loss with so many printable and digital resources to choose from.

D) Learning French and other languages

When school resources are slim, one of the first things to be cut is foreign language learning. This is understandable, but also a real shame! Young people can really benefit from learning a second language, even if they do not need to use it. Language learning challenges the mind the many ways, and the effects of learning loss can be greatly mitigated by focused exercises like dictées (whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or upper intermediate student) and reading comprehension (for more advanced students). You can learn any language you like, and the positive effects will be the same, whether you stretch your limits trying to figure out German grammar, or relish the challenge of learning an entirely new alphabet to master Hindi or Inuktitut.

The solutions to learning loss are right at your fingertips

Learning loss is a challenge many parents face, whether they are trying to help students recover from interruptions like COVID and teacher strikes, or whether they are facing the limitations of school systems that may not be providing the content and curriculum parents want.

By remembering that learning never stops, it becomes possible to choose what and how you learn, with more authority. Parents can mitigate the effects of learning loss by acknowledging what their children are learning from their immediate environment, and adding individual resources and activities to their family routine to move things in the right direction according to their values and priorities.

If you’re looking for simple, old-fashioned teacher resources that have been used by thousands of students around the world, visit Canadian Winter Homeschool Materials at Teachers Pay Teachers or Tes! You can also check out our website to learn more.

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