5 tips for reducing any learning loss this summer break

5 Ways to Prevent Summer Learning Loss @ConnectionsAcad 

Summer holidays! We all look forward to seeing kids having fun in the warm weather, free from the structure of a school day for at least a little while. But many parents worry that being away from any academic context for so long can set their children back when the school year starts up again. 

So with the summer holidays right around the corner, online learning experts Connections Academy have provided their 5 simple tips on how you can help prevent any learning loss this summer. 

1. Enrichment programs

Summer learning opportunities are plentiful, ranging from month-long programs to one-off activities. A good first place to look might be your local schools and other community centres to see what might be available nearby.

In addition, many programs are now available online. Consider what will work for you and your child, and what will consistently engage them – if they aren’t attending, there will definitely not be any benefit of the program!

2. Do learning activities at home

Parents and caretakers play an important role! There are many ways you can help students of all ages. If your child is on the younger side, simply finding time to read together can be important for improving their verbal and literacy skills, and developing readers can be encouraged to practice reading with and to you. For older students, start a family book club, and discuss the themes, language, and ideas of books together.

3. Make learning fun

Consider how math talk can be integrated into other family activities, like games that use math-related skills (e.g., Monopoly, Blokus, Yahtzee) or even everyday tasks like cooking and shopping. No matter what your child’s age and ability level, there are tons of learning apps and online resources available for you to draw upon, as well.

4. Involve your student’s abilities and interests

Consider a longer-term project you can work on together over the summer. Perhaps you can find something your child finds interesting and work on exploring it together. For example, gardening and home-improvement projects, sports (training or fandom), or even video games can become the basis for lots of educational activities, whether focused more on reading, writing, math, science, engineering, history, art or other topics. Be creative! While the time spent on those activities may not be directly measured on a test, helping your child to feel confident, capable, and able to overcome challenges can set them up for success!

5. Consider a summer school program

Many types of programs are offered directly by schools to supplement, remediate, and accelerate student learning. Depending on age, some of these can count directly towards graduation requirements. For example, credit recovery programs, such as the Summer Enrichment Opportunity at Connections Academy, allow high-schoolers to catch up in core courses, like Math and English. Different areas and school districts will have different options and requirements, but you can also explore online summer school options.