What is it
For children, summertime is a time for fun, relaxation, and to be away from school. For parents, it’s a rare opportunity to unwind from a packed school schedule and bond with their children. The issue is often this period may cause a summer learning loss, or “summer slide” which is associated with a non-academic summer. This is when academic skills regress as a result of an extended time away from school.
Why does it happen
This phenomenon occurs globally and can reduce anywhere from ¼ to ½ of school-gained mathematics skills. Interestingly, losses in language skills are significantly less. Scientists hypothesize summer learning loss is directly related to the notion: “use it or lose it”. Without continued practice, our skills and knowledge fade. Although a majority of children will still be reading and conversing with their parents, only a minority will be practicing math.
Tips to prevent summer learning loss
Below we will detail how you can prevent (or mitigate) summer learning loss while ensuring that your child has enough time for summer activities.
- Allocate time for learning
Just 15 to 30 minutes of learning is enough to help retain most of what your child has learned. Studies show that revision sessions once every 11 days was already enough to improve long term memory retention. Learning can be reading, practicing math, playing educational games or more.
- Set aside time for math
Based on the studies above, math skills suffer the most over summer. This does not mean your child needs daily intensive math revision. Playing educational games involving math, or a quick review session every couple days is more than enough to improve memory retention.
- Go on educational family trips
Visiting your local park, museum, or zoo can be invaluable learning opportunities. These trips allow your children to engage in hands-on activities, physical exercise, while parents can ask open-ended questions about what their children are learning. After your trip, ask your child to explain to you what they learnt to help consolidate their memory.
- Encourage creative writing
Creative writing is a great way to help maintain your child’s writing skills, while allowing them to explore their imagination. Along the way, you can use a thesaurus to introduce new vocabulary and interesting adjectives.
Although the idea of summer learning loss might be scary, each child is unique. Some children might be better off exploring their personal curiosities. Parents should remember that time away from academics is invaluable in helping your child discover a potentially lifelong passion.
Sources
https://www.oxfordlearning.com/summer-learning-loss-and-how-to-prevent-it/
https://www.parentingscience.com/summer-learning-loss.html
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/7-ways-prevent-summer-learning-loss-barbara-dianis
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