Are Your Child's Grades Falling During Covid-19? Here's What's Going On

If your child's grades have seen a drop since moving to home-based learning amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, you are not alone. 

It's just not your child who's been acting differently. Kids across the globe have seen either their grades drop or have been distracted from academics over the past couple of months. And to be fair, this period has been anything but normal for anyone. 

However, there has also been a sizeable shift in some students performing better than others. They've seen their grades either consistently stay on top or improve over the past couple of months. 

So what exactly are they doing differently? What is their core theory of success that makes these kids different from the rest of the class?

Resilient Students vs The Hardest Hit?

To answer this question, here's a look at how students have been functioning across the world. 

A study in the UK gathered data from multiple visits to education and social care providers. The data revealed that since the beginning of Covid-19, students now fall into three broad groups:

• The resilient group: Those kids who've been coping fine with the pandemic and still continue to do well academically 
• The hardest-hit group: This group of students have seen things beyond their control, affected by the pandemic and personal issues
• The majority group: The study defines this group as people who've dropped a few grades across subjects

The study concludes that the resilient group has managed to adapt to the pandemic rather well.

While the larger consensus would be that privilege – financially and academically – allows them to do so, the study says that it's actually the support of family and carers. 

So, children who spend time together with parents are more likely to do well in school as well as cope better with social development, the study concludes. 

Low-Achieving Students Are The Hardest Hit

A German study also noted that low-achieving students were hit the hardest with the closure of schools due to the pandemic.

The study concluded that the learning time of a student more than halved during the past few months from an average of 7.4 hours per day to 3.6 hours per day.

However, high-achieving students spent half an hour more every day on school-related activities than low achievers, the study found.

The latter also used their free time towards playing computer games or engaging in other activities that were detrimental to the child's development that further created the disparity. 

Covid-19 Has Been A Learning Loss For Students

Two reports by global consulting firm McKinsey released in 2020 stated that "Students, on average, started school about three months behind where we would expect them to be in mathematics."

The study further said, "Students of colour were about three to five months behind in learning. White students were about one to three months behind."

The learning loss from school closures not only affects the child's academics but also other forms of development like social, emotional, physical, psychological and more. 

A US-based study conducted in 2020 based on historical test scores of eight to 13-year-olds projected that students were likely to re-enter schools with varied academic skills after the Covid-19 closures.

The study found that students who had not been given remote instructions during the pandemic returned to school with 63-68 per cent learning gains in reading, and 37-50 per cent in math when compared to a typical school year.  

How To Avoid The Quarantine Slide?

The Covid-19 pandemic brought about a paradigm shift in homes and coping up with these changes may not be easy for every child.

As parents, the core theory of success is you being a proactive part of their lives. Check-in with your child about their wellbeing. And you do this by checking with the teacher's first.

In case of any complications or a change in behaviour, most schools or the class teachers will contact the parents first. But you can take the first step too. 

Here are some of the questions you should your child's teacher: 

• What are the learning gaps that my child needs to address?
• How can we help the child in filling those gaps?
• How is my child performing in terms of grades?
• What's the next goal that my child can work towards before the next assessment?
• What are my child's strengths?
• Are there any other resources that will benefit my child?

Core Theory Of Success: 5 Things That Parents Can Do

The core theory of success really can be proven beneficial when you involve yourself in your child's life. Here's how you can do it and help your child excel. 

1. Parents should also actively participate in helping with their academics. Join them when it comes to finishing homework. While children should be responsible to complete the designated assignments on their own, the idea is to gauge if your child is lacking somewhere and needs extra attention.
2. Does your child need special tutoring in math? You wouldn't know unless you check in with them from time to time.
3. Mums and dads also need to make an effort to help kids and learn and re-learn certainly skills. For instance, math problems do not apply directly in life and there's a higher chance that the child will forget the same. The solution can be from regular home tests or redoing worksheets, anything that keeps their tiny brain engaged. 
4. Parents also need to make effort and keep checking on their child's mental health.  It's necessary to understand how they are coping up with the pandemic. Make time and speak to them about their assignments, friends and if anything is bothering them. Not every conversation will be direct but your child should feel safe enough to open up to you.
5. The pandemic days are also a good time to help your child work on themselves and improve self-confidence. From role-playing to nurturing hidden talents, spend time with your child and help them understand how to be the best versions of themselves. 

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