Six Ways to Avoid Summer Learning Loss

When school lets out for summer, many students are happy to forget the classroom—literally. But if they don’t practice what they’ve learned, they can lose about two months of their grade-level skills in math and reading. We asked Mollie Moore, career development coordinator and education specialist at our Itasca Group Home, how parents can keep their kids from falling behind.

“Learning should not feel like a chore,” Moore says. “We review lessons through activities, not just workbooks.” To keep kids engaged, Moore recommends the following activities:

1. Cook with your children. This is a great way to integrate math, reading and following directions.
2. Take field trips to a museum, zoo or nature trail. Ask questions along the way.
3. Play board games that involve math and reasoning, such as Yahtzee and Clue, or language skills, such as Bananagrams or Scattegories.
4. Involve your child in grocery shopping. Set a budget for his/her items and discuss labeling.
5. When planning a trip, model using maps for your route. On the road, listen to an audio book together.
6. Make a scrapbook or journal and invite your child to add to it.

“The #1 way to prevent summer learning loss is to read,” Moore adds. “If your kids see you on a computer, but never with a book or magazine, they don’t realize how much time you spend reading. Public libraries have wonderful programs with prizes for summer reading, and even small children can enjoy 20 minutes a day reading.”

By following Moore’s advice, you will keep your kids active and learning throughout the summer. Not only will you beat the heat, but you’ll beat summer learning loss, too!