savED experts develop manuals to help teachers address students’ learning gaps

savED experts develop manuals to help teachers address students' learning gaps

The charitable foundation savED has released a series of four teachers' Guides designed as a ready-to-use tool for teachers working to overcome learning gaps among schoolchildren. The materials explain the essence of the problem of students' missed learning and propose clear methodologies and approaches to address it. They also include sample lesson plans in several subjects - Ukrainian language, English language, Mathematics, as well as Ukrainian history and Civic education.

The series was developed within the project "Educational Recovery for Ukraine: Addressing Learning Loss in Digital Learning Centers", implemented with financial support from the European Union, represented by the European Commission (EU-Delegation). In addition to creating the manuals and holding consultations and webinars for teachers, one of the project's key directions was the implementation of the CatchUp program for schoolchildren in 20 educational centers run by savED. These centers are located in war-affected communities in the Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Kyiv, and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Activities for children within the project began in April 2024 and continued until August 2025, covering several waves of CatchUp classes. In total, 5,665 students participated, achieving an average learning progress of 85% upon completion, according to savED.

"This project is a vivid example of the comprehensive support our foundation provides to communities. It is not only about creating infrastructure in the form of educational centers, but also about filling these spaces with meaningful activities for children, as well as creating practical solutions for teachers' work. According to savED's 2025 study, 82% of school administrators acknowledge the presence of learning gaps among students. We have been systematically working on this challenge for two years, implementing the CatchUp program across seven regions of Ukraine. During this time, the program has already reached more than 65,000 children. Now the series of manuals we created enables schools to independently launch the process of addressing learning gaps at the local level, without requiring significant additional resources that educators often lack. A teacher simply opens the manual and immediately sees concrete tools: how to work with students, which topics to prioritize, and which exercises to apply," - said Anastasiia Onatii, Head of Educational Programs and Analytics at savED.

The manuals are available free of charge in digital format. In addition, a number of printed copies will be distributed by savED experts to teachers in the regions.

"For the European Union, it is crucial to support programmes that help children continue learning and foster the development of human capital in Ukraine. Sustainable development begins with quality education. We highly appreciate savED's role in implementing the CatchUp programme - supporting teachers on the ground and developing modern materials that allow students to continue their studies despite the war. This initiative is expected to have a lasting impact and to strengthen the capacity of Ukrainian teachers in their daily work with children," - said Henrik Huitfeldt, Head of Section for Public Finance, Business Support and Social Policies at the EU Delegation to Ukraine.

savED is a charitable foundation working to restore life in war-affected communities through educational, social, and infrastructural solutions. The foundation equips shelters, educational centers, and temporary learning spaces, implements programs to overcome learning gaps for schoolchildren, and engages young people in community recovery and development through the UActive program. savED systematically operates in the Chernihiv, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipropetrovsk regions.