Addressing Learning Loss: What It Is and How to Move Forward

During March of 2020, my orchestra students were building on previously learned material while learning new concepts such as 6/8 time, the key A Major, and eighth and sixteen note combinations. At the time, we were also preparing for a huge concert celebration in May. Things were looking great—my students were on target and were right where they needed to be in the curriculum. They were proud of themselves and the improvement they showed too, and that’s all that really matters, right?

But we all remember March of 2020 and the COVID quarantine, and thinking back now I remember that it seemed like the world was ending. Teachers felt cut off from students and we were all in a deep hole. It was an awful experience for everyone, particularly students who needed their teachers and depended on them and live instruction.

What was challenging for me was looking at all that needed to be accomplished with my students, and coming to the realization that I simply wouldn’t be able to, even through Google Meets. To be honest, it was annoying. So what did I do? I condensed the curriculum and still hit all the concepts I wanted to, albeit in a very different way. My students ended 6th grade on a very different note (pardon the pun) and learned what I strongly felt they needed to know in order to be successful musicians in seventh grade. Compared to normal years, if I looked at those remaining months and had to give a percentage of what they learned, I’d probably give it a 35%. That means that my students lost out on almost 70% of instructional time. I might add that all my students did not participate in virtual learning, decreasing that percentage even further.

What is Learning Loss?

Learning loss is just that: learning that was lost or never occurred due to unforeseen circumstances. It can also be learning that was altered so much and in such a drastic way that the material was just not reinforced enough or taught in a way that made sense to particular students and their unique individual learning styles. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in students being approximately 5 months behind in core subjects like Math and Reading. Following the quarantine and the hybrid reopening of many schools that following September, the central focus seemed to be on those two specific subjects. This didn’t bode well for subjects like science and social studies or special area subjects like art, music, physical education and foreign languages. It’s also important to note that learning loss can occur during typical years (for example, if a teacher is absent for an extended period of time and a teacher with less experience takes over, a loss of learning can happen).

I remember telling the seventh grade orchestra teacher what sixth graders covered those last three months of school during the quarantine, but that it was probably a good idea to assume the students were still playing at a 6th grade level and thus to review those concepts.

In September of 2020, I transitioned from being a middle school orchestra teacher to an elementary orchestra teacher. I went in simply telling myself that my 5th grade orchestra students would be at a 4th grade level. What hindered us further was that lessons were still virtual and internet accessibility was not consistent for students at home. Other problems, like instruments going out of tune, students being unable to play together or listen to each other, sitting incorrectly and developing bad playing habits, and shortened lesson times impacted instruction and again resulted in learning loss. The motivation was low too; live concerts were not scheduled so there was nothing to work towards.

Simply put, I took them where they were at and reviewed basics that I knew they should know from 4th grade. I made sure concepts that I focused on were short and to the point and that I chose as much unison ensemble music as possible. 4th grade was more challenging, because they were picking up their instruments for the first time at home. Having students in person allows me to control certain variables (i.e. students earn the privilege of taking home their instruments by demonstrating proper care and set up of the instrument, in addition to earning a “Bow License”). This prevents them from learning incorrect habits and makes their experience much more enjoyable. However, I was unable to do this virtually, so this was something I had to give up control of.

Moving Forward

When I finally got my students in person the following February of 2021, things took a positive turn. Yes, learning loss was evident and things were not up to the standards I previously had, but that was okay. I had them in person now, and was able to pick up where they left off. I drilled (and I mean “drilled”) my students on ensemble etiquette like posture, D Major scale notes, playing together (which was very challenging compared to playing solo on zoom), but also simply had a lot of fun with them and celebrated the fact that we were back together again. I did things with them that weren’t possible on Zoom such as rounds and team-building games to unite our ensemble that for the past six months had been nothing more than a bunch of faces on a shared computer screen. Most importantly, I made sure whatever I did they would DEFINITELY be successful so that I could easily build up their confidence.

I was genuine and honest if I gave them feedback, always managing to tell them what they were doing right along with what needed improvement. There’s a fine line here: teachers who over compliment and aren’t truthful lose student trust, while teachers who fail to recognize small successes tend to demotivate students causing stress and tension. Find a happy medium and be honest. I also put a lot of it back on them to create more independent musicians. So, instead of telling them what they did (or didn’t do), have them tell you and then work on improvement. Chances are they know what they did (or didn’t) do.

Over time, with enough encouragement, and through modeling and practicing peer review and assessment, I felt confident that the fifth graders I was sending to middle school knew enough to be successful. Did we cover the entire curriculum? No. If I had to assign a percentage for the learning that happened, I’d probably give my fifth graders a 75%, which means there was a learning loss of about 25%. I was pleased at the end of the 2020-2021 school year. No live concerts happened, but we made video performances and came together as an ensemble.

Fourth grade was a little different, and because of the large size of my group and the mitigating factors we were implementing due to COVID-19, I had to separate them into two separate orchestras. This meant they were again losing instructional time. Fixing bad habits with them was a lot more difficult since they hadn’t had a year of playing in person like my fifth graders had, so the bad habits were all that they knew. We fixed everything, but it was slow, and since they never had a full concert experience, they hadn’t bonded as a group, really earned my trust, or felt the adrenaline rush of a live concert experience. They hadn’t experienced success, so motivation was challenging. In the end, I only got to D string notes and music literacy was not at its best.

And Now?

Fast forward to the current 2021-2022 school year. Those little fourth grade orchestra students that I started on computer screens back in September of 2020 are confident (and I mean really confident) fifth grade string musicians. An upcoming live concert experience in December is looming in the distance and they are working hard. The best part? The learning loss is little to none. It’s amazing what summer vacation and persistence will do. The 5th grader’s mind is also just a little bit quicker at processing information and filling in the empty boxes. The old saying that children are resilient couldn’t be more true.

My fifth graders are on target and here’s why: I’m making sure the basics are drilled into their minds so they feel successful. Our pieces strongly reinforce general note reading in D major, but are STILL exciting and engaging for them. They hear themselves and their improvement, and this motivates them to move through the curriculum and continue.

The Point

Learning loss happened. We moved forward, we did what we could, and guess what? The kids are still playing and having fun. I do believe that children are resilient and that we as professionals worry more than we should. We love what we do and know we can do better, but sometimes we have to take a deep breath and accept that we can’t do it all. In terms of COVID, I think after a majority of our population has achieved herd immunity and infection numbers begin to lower, a sense of normalcy will stabilize. That being said, we must always remember that regardless of whether or not concepts were taught, teachers can (and should) always take the time to go back and fill in the learning gaps. When I taught middle school, three elementary schools fed my program, usually resulting in approximately 120 students. The first few months were always about leveling the playing field and making sure everyone knew the basics. My advice is to meet your students where they are and then take a big step back.

Find old concert pieces they performed and use them as warm ups. Play review games on note reading, vocabulary, and other previously learned concepts. Identify the gaps and tackle them head on! Don’t be afraid of learning loss. If you still have high expectations, your students will succeed.

Warmest regards for a wonderful year!