Over the past few years, we’ve seen students find themselves struggling to catch up after falling behind—whether due to absences, missed content, or simply facing challenges with difficult subjects. These learning lags can be frustrating, both for students and educators, and they can create a cycle of anxiety and self-doubt.
In our office, we love to help students and families remember that falling behind doesn’t mean it’s too late to catch up. With the right support, encouragement, and targeted strategies, students can overcome hurdles and rebuild their confidence.
In this post, we’ll explore practical ways to help students regain lost ground, focusing on personalized learning approaches, proactive communication, and the importance of fostering a growth mindset. By addressing the root causes of learning gaps and offering effective tools for success, we can empower students to overcome challenges and thrive academically. Whether a student is struggling in a specific subject area or simply finding it hard to stay on track, these strategies can make all the difference in setting them on the path to success.
(Please note: we have no affiliation to any of these sites and this should not serve as an endorsement of any of these tools – we are simply providing a list based on our research in response to requests from families)
Math Mammoth
Math Mammoth provides free math videos, assessments, worksheets, and even full workbooks devoted to sharpening students’ math competence. The resources are always professional, grade-appropriate, and often free. Math Mammoth does have supplemental materials for high schoolers, though it is geared especially toward elementary and middle schoolers.
Kolbe Academy
Kolbe Academy offers Iowa Tests for students from Kindergarten to 12th grade. They aim to measure progress in a wide range of skills across core subjects and can provide families with a detailed picture of their student’s learning needs. The cost ranges from $40 to $65 per assessment scheduled, and Kolbe builds break times into its exams. For families who want to use an in-depth standardized exam as a diagnostic for their children, Kolbe Academy’s Iowa exams are an option.
IXL Diagnostic
For those looking for a more continuous or subscription-based option, the IXL Diagnostic evaluates students in a flexible, self-paced setting. The format allows students to exit and re-enter the diagnostic at any time and tests core Math and Language Arts skills in an online environment. As feedback, IXL generates personalized action plans and skill recommendations that become more specific and accurate the more that students test themselves. IXL also offers Science and Social Studies content for grades K-8.
Avant Assessment
World language learning has been significantly impacted during the pandemic, and many students remain uncertain about their fluency levels. For students, knowing what skills to practice for the next grade level, and how to find support, can be empowering and confidence-building. Avant’s STAMP (STAndards-based Measurement of Proficiency) assessments allow students to gauge their competency in a long list of languages, including Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin, Hawaiian, French, and many others. Users have free access to simplified sample tests and can pay a fee to access more comprehensive placement and proficiency diagnostics. Avant offers a choice between proficiency tests, which measure overall proficiency and award fluency certificates) and placement tests designed to determine the appropriate foreign language course for the test-taker’s reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills.
As always, we are here to help students build confidence, stay organized, and support intellectual curiosity and engaged learning. Diagnostics and assessments can be tools to help with evaluation so that we can personalize and focus learning paths.
Please feel welcome to contact us for more information about the many ways that our office can support students’ academic confidence and personalized learning growth in the coming year.