It can be a significant challenge for students to catch up on missed lessons, even if they have only been absent for one day. Students may have missed crucial discussions or activities that are vital for their understanding. Some days of instruction are more challenging than others to catch up on. Instructional days involving investigations or discussions that require the participation of their peers, can be especially difficult. Complicating matters further, students cope with absences differently, with factors such as shyness, fear of judgment, overwhelm, or social-emotional issues affecting their ability to catch up. Not surprisingly, it becomes more challenging to help students catch up on missed lessons when they have been absent for several days or even a week. 

This guide offers crowd-sourced supportive strategies for absent students gathered from educators globally who utilize OpenSciEd materials in their teaching. We are grateful for the collaborative problem-solving we are able to engage in with educators as we work together to improve science learning for all students. The names of the contributing educators can be found throughout this document.