Don't Let the “COVID Slide” Leave Your Child Up to a Year Behind in Math. Mathnasium@home Is Here to Help!

Traditionally around springtime, we encourage parents to start thinking about how their children can avoid the dreaded summer slide (where children lose 2-3 months of the previous year’s math learning during the long summer break.) ...but 2020 is hardly a traditional year.

Before this summer even begins, millions of U.S. families are already trying to resist what educators are calling the “COVID slide” — the learning loss that results from schools being closed to in-person instruction for an extended period of time during this pandemic.

Parents and teachers alike are concerned that their students are falling behind. The Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA), a nonprofit assessment provider, predicts school closures will cause some students to be as much as a year behind in math when school restarts, with elementary school students at the greatest risk.

Currently, a number of schools are still struggling to fully transition their students to remote learning. Even in those schools that have been successful in transitioning their students over rather quickly, the student experience is still largely inferior to traditional classroom learning. This is due to a number of factors, like lack of consistent access to teachers and/or technology challenges, just to name a few.   “Synchronous” instruction, which allows students to engage with educators in real time, is only being offered in a fraction of public schools.

Math Comprehension Will Suffer Most

During these unprecedented times, student learning can suffer in all academic subjects, but math typically gets hit the hardest. A number of children have gaps in their math foundation, even when times are 'normal'.  However, trying to learn math online, in the middle of a pandemic, with a classroom of other students, can become an almost insurmountable challenge. Of course, parents will try to do all they can to help, but numerous already feel ill-equipped to help their child with their math studies. Unfortunately, this whole situation can lead to frustration and even tears, because everyone realizes the potential of this leading to long-term consequences.

Examining the NWEA’s recent research, The New York Times called the COVID slide “catastrophic,” saying it could sidetrack a generation.

Because math is definitely a foundational subject that builds upon itself, the number of children who are capable and confident in math could fall dramatically, even as educators, government and industry stress the importance of STEM-related subjects and careers.

Mathnasium@home: Live, Face-to-Face Instruction

So what can a parent do? The most effective way to help your student with these learning challenges is with real-time, face-to-face instruction. Mathnasium's new Mathnasium@home service was designed to do precisely that: provide the same expert math instruction and Mathnasium Method™ as in its learning centers, through any web-enabled computer. Mathnasium@home learning is extremely flexible and it is available to students everywhere in North America, regardless of proximity to a physical Mathnasium center.

Callout: See: The Wait Is Over: Mathnasium@home Offers Live Math Tutoring via Computer]

How are we different from other online programs? Just as we are not a typical tutoring center for in-center instruction, our Mathnasium@home is not typical either! We provide a comprehensive assessment to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses in a student’s math skills, then build a learning plan unique to that student. Working with each student's specific plan, highly trained instructors interact with and teach students in a way that’s supportive and perfectly paced, so students enjoy learning math. 

Callout: He actually loves Mathnasium@home … I’m so thankful. It’s one less struggle. — Sharon B.

The sooner these gaps in math knowledge are addressed, the quicker the issue can be resolved. That is why it is so important that children get live, synchronous instruction to support their virtual classroom learning ...as soon as possible.

Mathnasium@home is here to stay, even through the summer!  We are here to assist your student get prepared and even get ahead for the next academic year. When we feel it is safe to reopen our doors, please know that our students can continue with Mathnasium@home, if they so desire, or they can easily transition to the center for the in-person experience. Either way, we will do our best to ensure that they get exactly what they need to prevent further learning loss, reverse the COVID slide, and stay strong in math.

To find out more about Mathnasium@home, contact us today.