Tips to prevent summer learning loss

With summer vacation here, students’ thoughts turn to swimming in the pool, fishing in the lake, and even binge-watching television. It’s a given that students need the time to relax and recharge. What parents also know instinctively, and teachers know as fact, is that too much time away from learning creates a lapse that is detrimental.

Most families know where to begin – with a good book. Reading is a great way to build vocabulary and imagination.

“Reading for fun is always a plus, but be sure to include non-fiction selections in your daily reading as well,” said Rosi Maio, an academic support teacher at St. Margaret Mary Catholic School. Adding non-fiction to the mix helps students build critical thinking and analysis skills that become crucial in reading science and history textbooks.

What’s more, daily reading is necessary for maintaining those skills. Edutopia.org, an education website established by the Lucas Foundation, suggests visiting the library, joining summer reading groups, and keeping a reading log to encourage reading as part of children’s daily routine. Another suggestion is to set aside 15 to 30 minutes a day for reading as a practical goal for summer time.

Also consider how to support your student reader. Something as simple as reading to your student or taking turns can ease anxiety for those working to build fluency. It’s helpful to keep the student’s interest in mind while guiding reading selections. According to one study cited by parentingscience.org, students receiving individual instruction become the most proficient readers. Parents or older siblings can be the key to that personal instruction time.

Another skill that goes hand in hand with reading is writing. “Keeping a summer writing journal is easy to do and incredibly impactful,” said Lisa VonKamecke, who teaches Student Success at St. Margaret Mary. She explained that writing prompts can come from many sources, including reading materials, news topics, vacations, and an abundance of websites.

While reading and writing are key, families should not overlook math and science opportunities. Some of the opportunities that serve as writing prompts can also offer chance to practice math and explore science. Travels, map reading and time estimation are great ways to incorporate math. News topics can lead to discussions about environmental sciences, weather patterns and inventions to solve local and global problems. Add cooking for a great lesson on measuring. Backyard birdwatching and bug catching open up discussions and spark web-based research on living things.

Computer access is available in reasonable periods of time at most public libraries. Many cell phones can double as mini-computers with access to search engines. And then there are games. Selecting age appropriate games can enhance math skills and with the amount applications available at little or no costs, students can find themselves practicing a variety of math operations.

The essential strategy is to use summer time as an opportunity to learn. “It’s not so much about what you did, but what thinking you did during and after the learning,” said Jackie Munoz, a junior high math teacher. “The thinking has to be intentional and taking advantage of every opportunity that summer affords is what’s going to help students be ready to move ahead in the fall.”

Plan for learning to occur on a daily basis. Focus on the areas that the student needs most help. Find a way to make it fun. Play games, read to each other, write about travels to other countries or the trip to the zoo. Then, make the time to question and further research. Instead of a brain drain, build the think tanks.