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The weeks leading up to the holiday season can be chaotic for educators. Special events commonly planned for this time of year can disrupt a classroom routine, while the frequent multi-day breaks between November and January can interrupt instruction. These factors, combined with student excitement about the holidays, can make the last two months of the calendar year some of the hardest for educational progress.

Educators can create a solid foundation for continued learning once the holidays are over with careful strategizing and smart solutions. Here are a few ideas that can help students stay on track in their learning journey while enjoying the events and emotions that accompany this time of year.

Students with dyslexia face unique challenges to learning. For example, they may find it difficult to memorize information or read aloud — both of which are skills that are critical to standard teaching practices. That’s why targeted interventions and accommodations are crucial.

Up to one in five people in the U.S. has dyslexia, representing 80% to 90% of all individuals with learning disabilities. With early intervention and proper accommodation, students with dyslexia can succeed in P-12 classrooms and graduate from rigorous postsecondary and graduate-level programs.

Educators can help make a difference by supporting these students and alleviating their challenges.

Approximately 1 in 10 students in U.S. public schools are classified as English learners or English language learners (students whose first language is not English) — and the number is rising. At the start of the pandemic, many experts worried this student demographic would fall behind, and the sentiment was not unfounded.

While the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) report revealed that 8th-grade English learners improved in reading comprehension scores from 2019 to 2022, which could be explained by a number of reasons, both the 4th-grade and 12th-grade cohorts did worse. Roy Loewenstein, a spokesman for the DOE, indicated that the score increase for the 8th grade EL cohort is “notable,” but the rest of the report is a “stark reminder” of the pandemic’s impact on all students nationwide.

Here’s a look at the latest findings on English Learners’ proficiency gains and challenges — and strategies for better supporting their learning needs.

The start of a new school year is an exciting time that offers a fresh start for both educators and students. In those first few weeks when you’re getting to know the individuals in your classroom and establishing a routine, a key piece of that process is developing a picture of how well each student is understanding the concepts you’re teaching. Getting a clear picture of student learning at the beginning of and throughout the year can help to inform and personalize instruction to each student's specific needs. 

The new school year offers students and educators a fresh start, but not all students will be ready to jump into new concepts. Since learning flows from one year to the next, students who advance in grade level without mastering the previous grade’s core concepts can quickly fall behind. Summer learning loss can compound these learning gaps.

Summer vacation provides students with a much-needed break. Free from rigid schedules, homework and testing, they can relax and enjoy days with fewer responsibilities.