Amanda Setlak, Ph.D.
In the eyes of a child, summer break means no more early bedtimes, homework and long days in class. Kids dream and fantasize about playing with their friends and limited daily expectations, and at the same time, parents can take a break from checking over homework and the morning rush. While summer break should be a time to relax and have a little fun, it should not be a complete break from learning.
Just because your child is moving on to the next grade, it does not mean they will retain everything they learned over the past year. If we remembered everything we learned throughout our lives, then we wouldn’t need to use Google to search up random facts we can’t remember! As the saying goes, use it or lose it.
Nearly all students show a decline in test scores from the beginning of summer compared to the end of summer. On average, students lose:
Students show declines in all core subjects, but learning loss is more significant in math computation and spelling. This is likely due to the factual nature of these subjects, as factual information is more easily forgotten if not practiced regularly. Additionally, parents are more likely to enforce continued reading over the summer as compared to spelling and math. Though some students suffer from summer learning loss more than others, a continued focus on education should be an integral part of summer break. Boys Town Behavioral Health recommends the following strategies.