Curbing COVID-19 Educational Setbacks

The wise adage says, “Time never stops.” We’ve all been impacted by the pandemic, inconvenienced around every turn, and even became involuntary teachers from our living rooms. Despite everyone’s immense collective effort to save our children’s education, there was a significant amount of time lost that we simply could not get back. Critical in-person teaching was no longer taking place. Teachers have a unique set of skills that enable them to connect and educate with high success rates, but suddenly they were teaching virtually. Remote learning can be effective for some. However, student engagement in online platforms was a massive challenge to overcome. Ultimately, not everyone was able to adapt in a timely manner, which further accounted for time loss. Remote settings meant no hands-on activities to connect the lesson material to real life scenarios. No afterschool or extracurriculars left kids struggling to find ways to fill in the gaps that these clubs and organizations provided. The absence of programs like afterschool science clubs or peer support networks hindered students in their once viable resources. Many students suffered from depression due to limited social interaction and lack of peer support. Parents suffered severe setbacks as some lost their jobs while others received reduced hours. We mentioned job loss affecting parents, but it is a trickle-down effect. The United Nations estimates 42-66 million children could fall into extreme poverty as a result of the crisis, adding to the estimated 386 million children already in extreme poverty as of 2019.

Although in-person learning has returned for some students, we are still left with more complex situations to mitigate. That critical classroom time that we lost has already shown that most of our students have fallen behind, even those who generally do not struggle with academic performance. While we can’t magically add more time to our day, some solutions have proven effective in bridging our students’ education gap.

            If you ask educators among all school districts, you’ll find one solution that everyone agrees on based on statistical research: tutoring. According to EdWeek, “The most effective way to catch up is tutoring.” Study after study identifies intensive, one-on-one tutoring as the most effective way to help students who have fallen behind. Quality tutoring programs that meet three times per week show some of the highest efficacy rates. Educators rely heavily on these programs to help increase engagement and academic retention among students. Tutoring also aids in diagnosing areas that need improvement or underlying problems associated with slipping grades. With these proven methods, the U.S. Department of Education utilizes accelerated learning approaches, including high-quality tutoring.

            These high-quality programs have always been our mission at Futurelink. Our tutors are trained and seasoned professionals that specialize in administering lessons virtually, enabling anyone to participate from the comfort of their own home. We use groundbreaking methods to instill the best academic improvement, such as using the eight learning styles to tailor the experience to each child’s needs. Our one-on-one format allows for maximum focus during our power hour sessions. We offer tutoring services in packages designed to align your values with your wallet. This last year has been difficult enough, right?

            With that being said, we have always offered FREE initial assessments when getting started with Futurelink. Our tutors will not only provide the extra enrichment your child needs but will also provide you with updates routinely throughout the process to track your child’s improvement. The tutoring staff teaches more than academics. They also teach healthy study habits and skills for personal accountability. The valuable learning techniques taught within Futurelink sessions add to your child’s academic skill set and help them to continue to succeed.

            Getting everyone caught up is of high priority to us all. Just in the nick of time, Futurelink would like to give you the opportunity to not only have a FREE initial assessment, but also take an extra 15% off your first month. Use coupon code: SCHOOL15 at checkout today. Hurry! This coupon expires at the end of the month, September 20, 2021. We would love to help you get started on the path to a more positive progress report.