What is the Summer Slide?
Summer slide is also known as summer learning loss and it refers to the decline in academic skills that students experience during summer break when kids are not in school. “The concept of the summer slide has been on researchers’ radar since at least 1996, when one of the first comprehensive studies on the phenomenon was published.” (Scholastic)
What is it?
The summer slide is a phenomenon where students experience a regression in their academic abilities, especially in reading and math, during the summer months when school is out.
Why it happens?
Students are not engaged in the same educational activites during the summer months as they are during the school year leading to a decline in skills.
Research
There have been many studies conducted on the summer slide, or summer learning loss, over the last 30 years. Listed below are some of the facts and links to the research if you would like to take a look.
Students lose an average of one month worth of learning over the summer, with the decline being sharper for math than for reading. (Link to research)
Between 70-78% of students experience a decline in math skills over the summer across elementary grades with the summer between 5th and 6th grades showing the largest drop, where 84% of students demonstrated summer slide in math (Link to research)
By the time they reach 5th grade, students affected by summer learning loss can lag behind their peers by 2.5-3 years. (Link to research)
More than 2/3 of the reading achievement gap in 9th grade can be traced back to cumulative summer learning loss during the elementary years. (Link to research)
Students may lose up to 2 months of reading proficiency over the summer, a substantial setback that can accumulate over time. (Link to research)
Over half of the reading achievement gap is attributable to unequal access to summer learning opportunities, underscoring the importance of these programs. (Link to research)
How parents can help combat summer learning loss:
Read Daily: Summer reading is a crucial step to beating the summer slide. Allowing kids to pick books that interest them can also help.
Practice Math Facts Daily: Understanding math facts (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) set the foundation for success in math from elementary through middle and high school. As a tutor, the number one issue I see students struggle with is a lack of memorization of key math facts. Practicing for as little as 15 minutes a day can help students master their facts by the end of summer.
Find Learning in Everyday Activities: There are things that we do every day that can be turned into learning activities; a shopping trip to the store can teach about budgets, sale price vs. regular price. Cooking or baking can teach following directions or fractions. Gardening or taking care of plants can teach plant cycles. Turn everyday things into learning opportunities.
Summer Tutoring: Our summer tutoring program can help combat learning loss. We can work with you to develop a program that fits your child’s needs.
Parents can beat the summer slide by encouraging your child to learn over the summer months. Learning over the summer months can set your child up for continued success next school year.