Learning Gaps: Types, Causes, & Solutions for Your Young Learner
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Originally Posted On : https://myeducationworks.org/blog/f/learning-gaps-types-causes-solutions-for-your-young-learner
From behavioral issues to communication breakdowns, learn about learning gaps in this guide. Then, contact our education consultants to help your child succeed.
Is your child having a lot of trouble with their homework? Do they seem to have difficulty even getting started? If so, they might very well be struggling with learning gaps.
But what exactly are learning gaps? What causes gaps in learning? Are there different types of learning gaps?
We’re going to cover all of this and more below. Here’s everything you need to know about educational gaps.
Types of Learning Gaps
As noted, learning gaps occur when children lag behind the educational levels at which they’re supposed to be based on the curriculum. There are several different kinds of learning gaps, all of which we’ll discuss below.
Knowledge Gaps
Knowledge gaps occur when a student either doesn’t retain the requisite information or has not been taught the requisite information. For instance, a student might not understand algebra, preventing them from moving on to more complex mathematics.
Skills Gaps
Skills gaps occur when students aren’t able to demonstrate the requisite skills. This generally occurs due to a lack of practice, though other issues can cause these gaps as well.
Environmental Gaps
Environmental gaps occur when students lack a good learning environment. For instance, they might be in classes in which the other students don’t behave themselves, thus making it difficult to retain information. Or they might come from disordered homes where they can’t find sufficient peace and quiet to do homework.
Motivation Gaps
In some cases, students will simply lack the motivation needed to progress academically. For instance, a student might suffer from depression. Or they might have a condition like ADHD that hinders their progress.
Communication Gaps
Communication gaps occur when communication becomes impaired between student and educator. Some students require a different type of communication in order to adequately retain information. In fact, bad communication is one of the leading learning gap causes.
Tips for Addressing Learning Gaps
Addressing learning gaps isn’t a one-size-fits-all endeavor. It depends on the student in question. That said, there are some general strategies you can utilize to narrow the gaps.
First and foremost, you need to build a sense of community in your classroom. The more welcome a student feels, the more engaged they’ll be with the subject matter.
In addition, you should make learning interactive. This way, it doesn’t all come across as theory.
You should also have your students form study groups. Collaborative learning can make a seismic difference for many students.
For more severe gaps, tutoring might be necessary. Some students simply need more one-on-one time with their educators.
Is Your Child Suffering from Learning Gaps?
Is your child suffering from learning gaps currently? Looking for ways to help them close those gaps? If so, we’re here at Education Works to support.
We offer personalized educational consulting for students of all ages. Not only will we advocate on their behalf, but we also offer a variety of educational services as well.
Contact us now to discuss your child’s needs!