5 Methods Successful Teachers Use to Tackle Learning Gaps

In education, when a student fails to grasp skills and knowledge within a specific period, it’s considered a learning or achievement gap. Since the gaps are compounding, a student will likely fall further behind if they are not addressed promptly, affecting overall academic performance.

 

Besides, the knowledge taught at a particular level is supposed to act as a foundation to understand more complex topics. Thus when the concepts at a specific class are not fully understood, it increases the chances of a learner struggling to grasp new but related information at a higher grade level.

Most educators use tests or ongoing assessments to track the progress of a learner and identify any gaps. Apart from quizzes, honest conversations will help paint a picture of what topics the student is struggling to master. Ultimately in your teaching profession, you must develop strategies to catch up on the year’s curriculum. Otherwise, the minor gap may turn into a major one and eventually cause the learner to view school negatively.

For any educator looking to improve their teaching profession by ensuring students excel in academics, listed below are the strategies to close learning gaps.

Use the Right Questions

Whether in assessment, tests, exams, or quizzes, a teacher needs to use the right questions to help a learner think, apply the taught concepts and show mastery of the topic. Difficult questions are more likely to cause frustration. On the other hand, when young scholars are familiar with questions, they are more likely to perform better and be productive in class.

The trick to closing a learning gap is to ensure they assign a few questions related to the taught topic each day. The questions should be based on the core areas that have been covered and should be understood. Ensure some questions add complexity to the concept allowing learners to go into details. The questions can also be a targeted intervention that helps redesign teaching strategies supported by ongoing performance data.

One-on-One Tutoring

When a student experiences disruptions in school and their personal life, it can lead to learning gaps. Some examples of disruptions are teacher replacement and problems at home. One-on-one tutoring is a great strategy for bringing a student up to speed. Teachers who have had success closing learning gaps have even gone further and set up a place in a library or department to tutor students privately. For outside the classroom learning, essay writing service uk can match a student with a subject expert.

Overall, a student may feel shy in class and fail to ask clarifying questions, leading to learning gaps. However, one-on-one tutoring brings comfort, making it easy for a learner to ask questions freely. For students who learn at a slow pace, a tutor can best meet their needs because they can customize the topics and work at a rate that the learner is comfortable with.  For deeper learning opportunities and to explore topics that haven’t been well covered in class, a student should consider essays uk.

Set Reasonable Goals

Data showcasing the progress of a student is crucial for an educator. Using the data, a teacher will set reasonable yet challenging goals, and only after they have been attained is a learner allowed to advance to complex concepts. This allows the instructor to be open with students and explain areas where they are showing weakness while also holding them accountable for their education.

 

Create Time For Self Reflection

Often a teacher is too busy completing the syllabus to go over completed assignments with students and reflect on what they have learned. Yes, a student and teacher will benefit by reading through the work as it allows the learner to correct their mistakes, to do better, and reflect on what they have learned.

Introduce Supplemental Instructions

Supplemental learning material introduced a few times a week is great for filling learning gaps quickly. The trick is to deliver it to a small group setting and monitor the progress to know where exactly to put more attention. However, the supplemental material should be in addition to regular daily lessons. Incorporating various teaching methods will help meet the different learning needs, which leads to a better comprehension of the taught material and engagement.

Supplemental material also aids in motivating learners, boosting interest, and introducing variety in lessons. Before introducing additional education resources, it’s best to consider the student interests and learning preferences. While supplemental material helps students stay up to date on a specific subject, those who want to gain more insight on a topic can ask an expert to “write my essay uk.”