By Dr. Steve Truch
The “summer slide,” or summer learning loss, refers to the setback many students face in skills like reading and math during summer break, with an average loss of up to two months of progress. However, the impact varies; some students maintain their skills, while others experience significant declines across multiple areas.
Since most school curriculums follow a structured 10-month sequence, it’s unsurprising that taking a break from instruction can lead to learning losses equivalent to about two months of teaching. For parents, the challenge is finding meaningful ways to bridge this gap and keep their children engaged during the summer months.
The Best Ways to Prevent the Summer Slide
1. Minimize screen time
It’s strongly encouraged that parents limit screen time for both themselves and their children. This includes phones, tablets, video games, television, and computers. These devices are a big part of our lives, no doubt, but their constant presence can be a bit much. Step back, take a break, and prioritize screen-free moments.
2. Get kids outside
Foster social connections by encouraging children to play outdoor games with family and friends. (Alternatively, many card games, such as Skip-Bo, can easily be taken outside, are great for groups, and promote engagement.) Let kids create their own games and resolve disputes independently. Activities like sports, summer camps, and day camps also keep them active while building teamwork and problem-solving skills.
3. Learn with summer activities
Local events provide plenty of opportunities to prevent the summer slide. Engaging in courses, attending plays, and participating in music festivals and parades keeps minds active, fosters learning, and encourages creativity, ensuring that skills stay sharp over the summer break.
4. Home-based learning
Students who are doing well in their academics will likely respond positively to home-based or web-based skills practice in curriculum areas like reading and math. There are plenty of resources that can be found online.
How to Support Students with Severe Reading Challenges
Delayed readers often need more than weekly tutoring to make progress. Summer is an ideal time for focused, intensive support, like daily one-to-one intervention offered by programs such as those at The Reading Foundation clinics, which help students improve in reading and math year-round.
Parents can prevent the summer slide by encouraging academic progress, creativity, physical activity, and personal growth. With activities like outdoor play, local events, and home learning, summer can be both fun and enriching, helping students succeed in the upcoming school year.
Dr. Steve Truch, founder of The Reading Foundation, holds a PhD in learning theory from the University of Calgary. With over five decades of experience in education, he has authored numerous publications and was named among the university’s top 100 graduates in 2003 for his contributions to learning and student development.
