Preventing learning loss during summer break
During the school year, your child’s brain is often engaged consistently. There are normally different types of classwork and school activities lined up to enhance your child’s academic skills. In addition, there are assignments designed to help students develop their skills and ensure that learning continues even when they step outside of school.
All these activities, which are geared to ensure that your child’s brain remains ever active and stimulated, usually come to a halt during summer break. During this break, which usually lasts for 2 months, there may be no classwork, no school activities, and limited learning opportunities. The result is a substantial “brain drain” that can have a significant effect on your child’s education. Worst case scenario, your child may suffer from learning loss.
If you are a parent and are wondering how to prevent learning loss during summer break, we have put together a list of some of the best ways to help students stay on track.
1. Create time for learning and stick to it
One of the main reasons why students suffer from learning loss is prolonged absence from school. Once many students leave school, any motivation they had to study dies. There are no tests or assignments, so they spend most of their time playing, watching TV, and engaging in activities that cloud their brain and disrupt their mental focus.
As a parent, the best way to fix this is to create time for your child to study. It doesn’t matter how small. Dedicating as little as 30 minutes every day to study during the summer break can go a long way in ensuring that your child’s brain remains active. Consistency is key when it comes to learning. As soon as you can persuade your child to stick to this routine, you may find yourself amazed at how well they perform in the next academic session.
I will also advise parents to take their children or teenagers to the public library, if possible, especially when they feel like their children need a new learning environment during summer break. Expose them to relatable books. They don’t have to study algebra. Provided that whatever they are learning about is appropriate for their level and stimulates their brain, this is one helpful approach to prevent learning loss.
2. Leverage teachable moments
Teaching your kids at home is one of the best ways to prevent brain drain. However, this doesn’t have to be a hassle. There is no need to be as stern as their teacher. Be creative and take advantage of those teachable moments to refresh their memory and academic skills in general. If you are a baseball fan and decide to visit a game, you can spend some time with your child to figure out batting averages. Or, you can include percentages to spice it up.
In addition, consider spending time as a family reading a book or a story and ask them about what they have learned about the characters or plot. Some parents make a habit of solving puzzles together as a family. When you visit a park, help your child develop their creativity by having him/her tell stories using the scenery or nature as inspiration. Anything you could think of that stirs your child’s brain and break free from their comfort zone will help.
Remember, learning doesn’t have to be complicated, especially during those summer breaks. So, make an effort to be creative while also ensuring that your child’s memory is active.
3. Help your children build their grammar skills
Grammar is often overlooked in the high school curriculum (it is part of the rubric, but generally not covered in great depth), as it is expected that students have mastered the fundamentals. This may not always be the case.
Take a look at their past grammar curriculum, and start working towards easing students into the next school year’s grammar expectations. If there are any bad habits, make sure to backtrack and take care of those first. This will not only keep their mind engaged, but it will also ensure that they are familiar with the expectations at the start of the next academic session. Make sure to select grammar topics and exercises that are suitable for their grade and level.
You can find workbooks designed for their grade or skill level and motivate them to attempt some of the tasks. Ensure that the atmosphere is lively to keep their minds from wandering to thoughts of the latest Instagram post or TikTok dance trend. Doing this should make the process fun.
If they make errors while attempting the tasks, provide helpful guidance and feedback. Having your children review grammar during summer break will undoubtedly enhance their overall language skills, put them one step ahead of their colleagues, and keep learning loss at bay.
4. Leverage technology
No classes? No problem. Thanks to technology, your child can access several online courses from anywhere in the world. KhanAcademy.org is a great place to start, and it’s free.
Today, there are many online learning platforms that your child can benefit from while enjoying his or her summer break. Registering your child on one of these platforms or summer programs can help prevent or at least slow down the occurrence of “brain drain” and enhance his or her academic skill. The result is once they go back to school in the fall, your child should have an academic advantage.
One of the many fascinating things about online learning platforms is that they are designed to cater to your children’s academic needs regardless of what they are. They boast courses for various grades, and their website interface is usually easy to navigate and user-friendly.
5. Concentrate on a specific skill
Rather than allow your child to overindulge in frivolous activities during their summer break, why not encourage them to transform their academic weaknesses into their strengths? By doing so, you win in two ways. You’ll be helping your child prevent learning loss during summer break, and you will be helping your child to improve academically.
Select a particular subject you feel your child has the most trouble comprehending from the previous school year, and make an effort to practice the subject until they get more confident. You can dedicate a few minutes each day to this. To improve your effort and make things less difficult for your child, you can also leverage every resource available to you, ranging from online learning platforms to valuable materials, among others.
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