How to Help Children Face Gaps in Learning and Achievement

Photo by Kelly Sikkema

Just from its title alone, Chloe The Left Behind Angel, many parents and teachers will recognize that it’s a book about a child feeling left behind by their peers. Whether it’s due to a learning gap or achievement gap, it is a very common problem. 

Still, the fact that it is common belies how complicated it can sometimes be. Thus, kids are still in a very delicate situation when they are confronted by it. That’s why we grown-ups have an immense responsibility to help children face gaps, get to the bottom of what caused them and go the extra mile to close them when we can. 

But before we go any further, it’s important to understand that these gaps aren’t actually the sole responsibility of any one party involved. We can’t just keep putting pressure entirely on the kids, the parents, the teachers, the system etc. 

That is a big reason why these gaps are both still so commonplace and complicated! Everyone, from a child’s own family and friends, to their classmates and wider community, has a part to play. 

Fortunately, there are general ideas that everyone can follow when interacting with a child who suffers from some form of gap in their education.

Know What Caused the Gap

Photo by Markus Spiske

Identification is a big part when it comes to gaps in a child’s development, but it is not just a simple matter of, say, knowing the difference between an achievement gap and a learning gap. 

For one thing, both types of gaps can overlap. The same can be said for the circumstances that created them. (One example would be the many gaps still lingering as the result of the 2020 pandemic crisis.) 

These could then be compounded by other situations. For example, a child could be from an underprivileged household where access to learning materials could be very limited. Families in poverty often, unintentionally or not, place certain burdens on kids that take away time from studying and practicing particular subjects. 

For just learning gaps alone, there are multiple strategies to handling them. Achievement gaps require a different set of solutions as well. 

So, getting to the bottom of just one gap is a great deal of work. Still, the more everyone understands where they came from, the more knowledge they equip themselves with to help children face gaps. Teachers may have a lot on their plate that they have to use less individualized approaches, but they can at least help spot the signs. Likewise, parents can accomplish so much by understanding where these gaps are caused at home, and how they can help the whole family make improvements to their child’s learning environment.

Help Others Be More Understanding

Photo by Rachel

Speaking of which, creating awareness of gaps also means knowing how much they affect a child’s various relationships. 

As sad as it sounds, not everyone will have a positive response to knowing that a child has fallen behind even if they did know the circumstances. Some parents may not take too kindly to having their household ‘blamed’ for a child not having enough books to read. Bullies at school may see the gaps as a reason to target and discriminate students (as is often the case with children who have disabilities). 

That is why these things need to be prepared for and not just something to distance from as a worst-case scenario. 

Kids who feel like they’ve fallen behind will immediately feel fearful, vulnerable and suffer significantly less confidence in themselves. The last thing that any parent or educator wants is to see the child in a situation where they give into those fears. 

It can get so bad that a child may even just abandon education entirely. 

That is why the opposite of this is to make sure their environment remains as supportive as possible. Help children face gaps by teaching them to see their situation positively and have faith in their ability to grow.

Taking Time to Close the Gap

 Now, as with anything in children’s education, patience is key. 

Patience also needs to be shared across the board. 

Parents certainly cannot rush for solutions the moment a gap has been identified (especially if the cause is some form disability). A lot of solutions for achievement gaps tend to also require major reforms on the part of educators, and even all the way up to government policies. 

All of these things take time, and everyone has to keep playing their part to help children face gaps for any real meaningful progress. 

Again, this goes back to the important idea that these gaps aren’t just the responsibility of any one individual or one group in a child’s life. As the saying goes, “It takes a village to raise a child.” 

So many of the gaps faced by many children today overlap with many issues affecting a wider society. It only makes sense that all of us in this society do our best to pitch in to close those gaps! 

Don’t forget that Chloe The Left Behind Angel has some helpful examples on how to encourage children in facing gaps between them and their peers. The book is already available on Barnes & Noble, Amazon and ReadersMagnet.