While the end of the school year is certainly a time to celebrate and decompress, it is not the time to stop learning. This is especially true after these past couple of years!

The summer slide or summer setback is a real phenomenon that occurs each year. The past couple of years of school disruptions have only made things worse. Specifically, students often lose math and literacy skills over the summer. Multiple studies have shown that many students are far behind where they should be academically despite their teachers' and their own heroic efforts during the pandemic. In fact, we found this statistic from a recent research study particularly alarming:

"Average fall 2021 math test scores in grades 3-8 were 0.20-0.27 standard deviations (SDs) lower relative to same-grade peers in fall 2019, while reading test scores were 0.09-0.18 SDs lower. This is a sizable drop. For context, the math drops are significantly larger than estimated impacts from other large-scale school disruptions, such as after Hurricane Katrina—math scores dropped 0.17 SDs in one year for New Orleans evacuees."

We cannot dispute the facts; the pandemic has had a tremendous impact on our students. The only thing we can do now is support our students and help them come back stronger. While summer school is not always mandatory for students that are behind, it would be an excellent idea to consider if your school has a quality program in place. However, if you choose let your child enjoy a typical summer break, you can prevent the summer slide and add to your child’s learning by following some of the suggestions below. 

The best part about summer learning is that it does not have to feel like school at all. Your child doesn’t have to attend school for six or seven hours to make progress or maintain skills over the summer. Summer is a time to relax and enjoy your favorite activities such as sports, going to events, and seeing family. However, summer is also an opportunity to have your child work on subjects where they often struggle or dig deeper into topics that hold their interest. Really, you can do both! Your child now has more time to read, work on some fun at-home STEM activities, and play math games on the computer.  

The internet offers an array of fun tools to help your child continue learning throughout the summer. You can find several ideas on how to engage your child in a fun and beneficial way. For example, using tools such as Khan Academy, IXL, and even YouTube can provide your child with ways to learn new skills or practice skills that they have learned over the past year. Check out Common Sense Media for a collection of math games and apps for all ages. They have options for kids as young as preschool through high school. There are even some cool coding lessons if you’re willing to pay a heavier price. On the flip side, if you are looking to add to your child’s creativity and they have a propensity for art, you can check out Art Projects for Kids. From learning how to draw animals, to creating murals and self-portraits, this website has options for kids of all ages!

If you’d like a different kind of entertainment, find a good book. When was the last time you took a visit to your local library? The librarian will show you the latest books and make suggestions according to your child’s preferences. Your child can take the book to the beach or pool, and once they finish reading it, they can keep track of what they liked or disliked about it in a journal. There is no excuse for students of all ages to not be reading at least 30 minutes per day during the summer. This alone can make such a difference in improving student’s reading fluency and reading comprehension! 

Keeping a journal is another way to help your child improve their writing skills. Many kids dislike writing because they have trouble writing about specific topics, but that is not the case when writing in a journal. Your child gets to pick the topic every single day! Additionally, if your child is willing to share their writing with someone else (parents, siblings, friends), that will improve their writing even more.

If you prefer your child to have some interaction with an instructor, yet want to establish your own schedule, the summer is a great time to find a tutor! We would love to help create a customized program to fit your child's needs.😊 

Tutoring sessions do not have to be long in order to be effective with most sessions lasting between 1-2 hours depending on age. These sessions are their opportunity to work on the topics and skills that often cause them (and you) stress. Our amazing staff of tutors can help your child improve their skills and confidence and provide a few tips that will help them once school begins again.

As always, allow your child to enjoy their interests and the flexibility that summer offers. At the same time, don’t let the summer slide and years of school disruptions impact your child for next school year. Expectations will be the same for students regardless of how crazy these past few years have been for everyone. Use the summer as a time to sharpen your child’s academic skills so that they are ready to be successful in the fall!

Club Z! Tutoring of Glenbrook specializes in providing individualized, in-home, and virtual tutoring for students K-12 in Northbrook and Glenview. If you want your child to work on developing skills that will translate to improved grades and self-esteem, contact us today at: bbalatsos@clubztutoring.com.