Students, teachers, and parents work hard during the academic year to ensure learners gain the skills they need. Then comes summer break, and it is time for everyone to get a well-earned rest.
However, when fall comes around, many students return with fewer skills and lose some of the academic progress they had made the previous year.
Students from some demographics are more likely to be impacted by summer learning loss, also known as the summer slide. Teachers, school administrators and parents can support continued learning over the summer to improve learning retention.
Whenever possible, it is helpful for parents to remind their kids that learning can be a lot of fun. Providing students with academic resources that match their interests and skill levels is a great way to keep kids engaged during the summers.
One of the downsides to most forms of traditional education is that students spend limited time outside, exploring the world around them. Summer can be a great opportunity to let kids and teenagers spend time in nature while also learning.
School provides students with a sense of structure that they often lack in the summer months. As a parent, it can be helpful to create a daily or weekly schedule to keep students on track with their learning goals. This might mean talking to kids and teens and asking for their opinion on what goals are reasonable for the summer.