A look at a few ways to guide elementary students who may still be struggling with their learning after the last two turbulent years.

Here are four strategies that elementary teachers may find useful in taking on this challenge and bridging any learning loss that students may still be managing.

1. REDUCE STRESS

The pandemic has created a great deal of stress and anxiety. The link between stress and executive function is undeniable. Executive functions include memory, attention, planning, and organization of thoughts, skills that are essential for both schoolwork and daily life. When executive function is impaired, students may experience difficulty with following directions, regulating emotions, and even just paying attention. Knowing this is important because if children are stressed, they’re not ready to learn. In order to create an optimal learning environment, therefore, we must find ways to reduce stress in the classroom.

We can do this in numerous ways, including building a community of support and trust in the classroom, using warm-up activities, incorporating breathing exercises and other mindfulness practices, and creating low-stakes/formative assessments that help students build their skills and promote a growth mindset. Take advantage of this stage of development as one where students are excited about learning and being playful. Being stuck at home might have limited the time they could socialize and play with others. Leading with ways to reduce stress through community building and playful social interactions is always a good idea but perhaps needed now more than ever.

2. USE STORIES

3. VALUE LOCAL KNOWLEDGE

Valuing local knowledge means that teachers accept, respect, and appreciate the knowledge that students bring to the classroom. In some ways, this is an extension of the idea of using stories to make effective connections. During the pandemic, although some children may have experienced learning loss based on traditional academic metrics, many students experienced the benefits of being home with family, perhaps taking on helpful roles at home that built skills ranging from household repair and cooking to tutoring younger siblings

4. TEACH TO THE EDGES

When I was learning how to teach, I was told, “Plan to the middle, and differentiate for the children who need more support or more challenge.” Now I know better. Utilizing the principles of Universal Design for Learning creates classrooms where everyone can be successful. The idea of teaching to the edges is an acknowledgment that every classroom has neurodiversity, a variety of learning preferences, and myriad talents.

That isn’t to say we need an individual plan for every student—that isn’t feasible. However, by incorporating multiple means of engagement, representation, and expression throughout instruction, we are more likely to capture the imagination of our students, increase motivation, and meet their individual needs.

Reference: https://www.edutopia.org/article/4-ways-keep-students-moving-forward?fbclid=IwAR31sKijuoiuJcTazRu5bZqxnlOSAgaTa9ZcYpA0dlD6cOPKpzIYg2WxvMg