Covid Learning Loss? Tutoring is Key.

Aug 25, 2021 • Tutoring Prep

Because of the pandemic, all students have suffered from COVID learning loss. According to research, there is one key way to help students overcome those learning losses and have a strong school year: tutoring.

Coupled with regular learning losses students incur over the summer, Covid-19 has created a major lag in learning. Education experts are concerned that students are experiencing education setbacks that will be difficult to overcome. source

Many large-scale studies show that students’ learning has fallen behind where it would have been. Math scores have declined more than scores in literacy and the youngest learners seem to have lost the most ground. source

One education research organization predicts that the average student lost 57 to 183 days of learning in reading and from 136 to 232 days of learning in math just during the spring of 2020. 

Overcome COVID Learning Losses with Tutoring

Research shows that tutoring programs have major positive effects on student learning.

A meta-analysis of 96 randomized studies found that tutoring programs led to increases in learning outcomes equivalent to a student advancing from the 50th percentile to nearly the 66th percentile. source.

When it comes to COVID learning loss, tutoring can help students of all ages recover from COVID-related learning loss. If parents have ever considered tutoring for their children, THIS is the year to enrol.

Not All Tutoring is Created Equal: 6 Features of Effective Tutoring

While many school boards are offering free tutoring programs to students, not all tutoring is created equal. The effectiveness of tutoring programs varies greatly, and these variations may drive different outcomes for different students.

So what qualities make an effective tutoring program? Many studies point to these key factors:

1. Consistent & Reliable Schedules. Tutoring is most effective when it is provided in a regular and reliable schedule. At Oxford Learning, students attend a minimum of one-hour classes at least twice a week. This regular and repeating schedule is key to helping students see the most academic gains.
2. Qualified Teachers. Rather than working with another student, effective tutoring employs certified teaching staff who have indepth training and skills. All Oxford Learning tutors are full trained and qualified.
3. Small Groups. In such small groups, teachers are able to personalize teaching to the specific students and focus on the subjects that student neeeds the most. All Oxford Learning classes have three students to one teacher, allowing a balance between instruction and self-directed work.
4. Relationship Building. In small groups on a consistent schedule, it is easier for a student to develop a relationship with a tutor they see at dedicated hours several times a week. Students feel connected to the learning and to their instructor and well as to the other staff who they see regularly.
5. Assessments and Customization. With learning assessments, tutors are able to build specific programs that meet the student’s exact learning needs. Oxford Learning’s Dynamic Assessment has both a cognitive and academic portion that allows us to create a program unique to each student’s exact learning needs.
6. Builds Confidence. Tutoring boosts students’ confidence as they begin to make academic progress. Students also build confidence because of the consistent, reliable educational routine and the connection they develop with their tutor and tutoring program.

COVID Learning Loss, Tutoring and Mental Well-Being

It’s not just education that has suffered during the pandemic; school disruptions affect students’ mental health as well as their social and emotional well-being by eliminating access to their social network. Mental health plays a large role in how students learn. When students do not feel safe or supported or feel without a strong connection to others, it affects their ability to be present and learn.

The Right Tutor for Success This Year

Get proactive about learning this year. Don’t take a wait-and-see approach. If you have concerns, tutoring can help students individually recapture learning motivation and skills for a better school year. No matter what happens, Oxford Learning is here, providing school and learning support that helps students reach their learning goals every step of the way.