Summer is a great time for students to relax and recharge their batteries. But, a break from school doesn’t need to mean a break from learning! Did you know that students typically score lower on standardized tests after summer vacation than they do on the same tests at the beginning of the summer? That’s because most students lose about two months of grade-level equivalency in mathematical computation skills during the summer months. Academics call this period of learning loss the “summer slide.”
A Slippery Slide
Sometimes, the summer slide causes a learning loss that makes students fall up to three months behind in math and reading. But that’s just the beginning; this learning loss can really add up and students can eventually end up falling nearly three grade levels behind their peers in reading and math. Often times, this is a permanent and lasting consequence of the summer slide.
Summer learning loss can easily extend beyond the K-12 career and could have a domino effect on students’ ability to achieve on high stakes standardized tests like the PSAT, the SAT, and the ACT, and more importantly, on students’ ability to take on and be successful in rigorous classes. The summer slide can thus inhibit a student from staying college bound and being a competitive student. And that’s why we want to avoid it!
The Antidote
Most organizations recommend several hours of learning should occur throughout the summer on a daily basis. All of this learning doesn’t have to be in the classroom. But it does have to be high-quality instruction to inhibit summer learning loss.
You wouldn’t just water your house plant during three out of four seasons of the year, right? In the same way, it’s important to nurture your child’s curiosity and give them tools to reinforce their knowledge year round.
