The summer slide, summer brain drain, summer slump—it’s known by many names, but whatever you call it, summer learning loss is a problem.
Studies show that when given the same test at the beginning of summer break, and at the end, students will typically score significantly lower at the end of the summer. In fact, on average, students lose about two months’ worth of learning during the summer months.
Engaging children in learning, whether through summer school courses, or informal educational activities, is essential to minimizing the effects of summer learning loss. Summer school courses are perhaps the best prevention for learning loss, particularly if students need extra help in a difficult subject, want to get ahead in school, or need to recover credits. However, even if students are not enrolled in summer school, learning shouldn’t stop just because the school year is over.
1. Catch up, or dig deeper
Summer is a great time to devote extra attention to areas where students struggle, or to allow students to pursue their interests, diving deeper into topics they are passionate about. Have kids choose a subject they want to learn more about, or a new skill they want to work on and make it a summer project.
2. Explore online learning activities
School may be out, but online games and activities are available year-round. Visit our Activity Center for interactive activities, games, coloring pages, and other resources to keep students learning. Minimize summer learning loss by reviewing a subject you studied during the year, or move ahead to the next grade’s activities for a preview of what students can expect in the fall.
3. Take learning on the road
If your family is traveling this summer, involve kids in planning the trip, researching sites to visit, budgeting, and mapping out your journey. Kids will enjoy being involved and will benefit from real world lessons in math, history, and geography. If you can, visit a historic site your kids learned about in history, or take a trip to the zoo or aquarium to see animals they studied in science. When you’re on the road, engage them in learning with fun road trip learning activities and games.
4. Read!
Libraries often offer summer reading programs, which can be a great way to motivate kids to read. If you’re not sure what to have them read, we suggest K12’s Reading Lists for recommendations of appropriate books for each grade level.
5. Find everyday learning opportunities
Summer is the perfect time to sneak learning into everyday life and many fun family activities are also great learning opportunities. Turn a visit to the beach into an opportunity to learn about sea creatures or how tides work. Cook a recipe together and make it a math lesson by figuring out how to double or halve it. Exploring the outdoors, gardening, art, and DIY projects, are all great opportunities for kids to learn while having fun at home.
How are you keeping your kids learning this summer? Share your ideas with us in the comments.
Image credit: Mookie Forcella /CC BY-NC 2.0
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