It’s a myth that the summer break is an anachronism of our agrarian roots. In fact, the summer break, created by 19^th century reformers to standardize the school calendar, is rooted in pre-air conditioned urban schools, which made the summer months the most sensible period for taking a break.

What is a not a myth, however, is the “summer slide” in academics. A study in 2020 concluded the average student lost 17-34% of the prior school year’s learning gains, while a Brookings Institute study estimated the loss to be approximately one month’s schooling, with greater losses in math than in reading and in lower income students than in higher income students.^1,2

Learning Ideas for the Summer Break

Parents can keep their children academically sharp during the summer break in a number of ways, including:

• Summer Camps—There are any number of day and away STEM-related summer camps that can provide children with an interesting and challenging intellectual experience, from computer camps to space camps. Since most children prefer a sports-related camp, consider requiring an education-oriented camp as a requirement for sending them to a sports camp.
• Leverage Internet Resources—The internet is host to a wide range of learning opportunities for children of all ages and interests. Parents can begin their research into such sites by starting here.
• Encourage Reading—Take your children to a bookstore and let them pick out several books to read over the summer—subject, of course, to parental veto! Set a schedule for each book’s completion and discuss the book with your child when finished.
• Start a Summer Journal—A journal (or blog) hones a child’s writing skills, observational ability, and allows free expression of his or her thoughts and feelings.
• Everyday Math—Find ways to exercise your child’s math muscles in everyday situations. Maybe it’s cooking a recipe, opening a lemonade stand, managing a yard sale or calculating baseball statistics. Even try some cool math games.
• Look to Local Activities—Local organizations—such as the library, parks commission or school—may offer activities for children, while museums and historical sites represent wonderful learning opportunities.
• Take Educational Day Trips—Plan on one or two educational day trips each month to learn new things.

The list of possible educational adventures is limited only by a parent’s imagination, so go out and have fun with your child this summer and know he or she will hit the ground running in September.

Sources:

1. https://www.nwea.org/blog/2021/summer-learning-loss-what-we-know-what-were-learning/
2. https://www.brookings.edu/research/summer-learning-loss-what-is-it-and-what-can-we-do-about-it/

Please reference disclosures: https://blog.americanportfolios.com/disclosures/