Will Summer Learning Loss Affect Your Child's Development?

Reports of summer learning loss were first observed in the 1980s. The topic gained significant attention during the COVID-19 pandemic. Countless parents are not aware of the impact that summer break can have on their children. Summer learning loss is a common issue among students that studies have proven and addressed. At A&D Tutoring, a math, STEM camp, tutoring (in-person or online) and reading center, we commit to helping your child succeed. We strive to provide parents and kids with useful information and tools to help them make informed decisions and improve their daily lives. Suppose you are looking for programs like Kumon or Oxford Learning. We strive to exceed your expectations when it comes to your or your child's education by providing personalized learning plans and one-on-one sessions.

Research Statistics

• Students lose one month of learning during the summer break, according to research by Brookings EDU.

• According to Scholastic, children in 3rd to 5th grades may experience a decrease of 20% in their reading abilities and 27% in their math skills over the summer break. Test scores were higher in the spring compared to the fall. So, when kids came back to school they did worse on similar tests they took before summer break (Cooper & Sweller, 1987). 

• A Sociological Science study reported that Summer losses were significant on some tests but not on others. Although there were variations in sex, income, and ethnicity, there were no significant patterns. The source continued to say, "There was no agreement on which subject [(math and reading)] was most prone to summer loss" (Workman et al., 2023).

• A study by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences compared data from 2020 to the previous three years' scores. Findings saw that students tend to perform worse during the summer. Regardless, there were no large differences based on sex, grade level, subject, or prior performance (Engzell et al., 2021). 

Solutions

• Extended School Year: Most research supports an extended school year (Cooper, 2023). According to the NCETL (1993), students in the United States attend school for 175-180 days per year. In contrast, students in Japan attend school for 240 days per year. Assuming it is due to time in school, Japan, compared to the United States, has higher reading and math scores.

• Rescheduling: Studies suggest schools use "the 45/15 calendar." This calendar is 9 weeks (45 days) at school followed by 3 weeks (15 days) of vacation" (Kerry & Davies, 1998). 

The studies' solutions are not tested but could be effective guesses. Even if the guesses work, it is unlikely that school times will change. Summer learning loss is real but, due to the variety of results, no child is definitely immune. Some sources offered broad solutions, like incorporating learning into everyday tasks, making a book club, and things of that nature. Unfortunately, being able to keep your child engaged and learning every day in the summer is close to impossible. 

Thankfully, here at A&D Tutoring (online or in-person), we have proven suggestions for stopping summer learning loss. 

1. STEM Camps: We offer coding with Minecraft, YouTube Content Creators, Roblox Game Design, Dungeons and Dragons, Science Camp, Lego Robotics, Art Creation and more. Our camps are for kids aged 7 to 12 and are the perfect way to keep learners engaged during school breaks! Our STEM camps are perfect for kids looking to explore their interests and career goals in a supportive environment.
2. Tutoring: Traditionally, tutoring is for students struggling during the school year. Most tutoring is for exam preparation, homework, or a lack of general understanding. A&D Tutoring offers K-12 tutoring (online or in-person) year-round, even if the child is not in summer school. Students can get ahead, challenge their existing knowledge or learn other skills. Whatever students' goals are, we are here to reach them! 

At A&D Tutoring, we are passionate about helping learners succeed and hate seeing learners lose learning over the break. If you have any questions or want to get started today, call us at 780-444-9349 or email [email protected].