"How Can Parents Help Prevent Summer Learning Loss in Students?"

At this time of the year, schools are either closed for the summer vacation or winding down. It’s very common for students to say goodbye to school and classroom routines, head outside and enjoy the wonderful weather!  Unfortunately, the lengthy break often leads to what teachers call “summer learning loss”, where students forget a significant portion of what they learned during the school year. In fact, scores from NWEA assessments show that students can forget up to 3 months of learning over the summer holidays!

Here are several ways I suggest that students can use to return to school in the fall ready to hit the ground running!

1.        Summer reading programs

Fortunately, reading is often a leisure activity for many. We should all be encouraging students to read as much as possible, which in turn will help maintain their writing skills as well. Encourage students to participate in summer reading programs run by local libraries, bookstores, or even online!

2.    Explore hobbies

Encourage students to put down their smartphone and pick up an engaging hobby like photography, music, art or dance! There are often lots of opportunities in your local town for students to get involved in clubs as well. It is so much easier for students to learn when they enjoy what they are doing.

3. Learn wherever you are

I always tell my students and parents that learning is a lifelong journey, and it's so important to keep practising. Whether it's adding up the grocery bill whilst shopping, calculating how much to leave as a tip or practising times tables in the car, repeated exposure and practice helps counter the summer slide!

4. Explore current events and Mathematics in the media

A really valuable way to keep learning fresh and fun is to explore the news! Give students the resources and encourage them to read about Space X's latest test flight, why the stock market is at an all-time high or how AI is taking over the world!

5.    Work with a tutor

Summer is an amazing time to start working with a tutor.

Not only does this help establish a routine within the day, but it offers an excellent way to close any gaps from the year, and to make a headstart on next years curriculum, ensuring that students start ahead of the pack in the next school year!

 To learn more about how to beat summer loss and how I can help, please contact me today!

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