Wondering how to prevent summer slide? Keep your child reading and doing a little math all break long. Let them choose their own books, visit the library and join its summer reading program, and fold math into games, cooking and outings. Research on summer learning loss is mixed, so aim for steady, relaxed habits, not heavy workbooks.
Summer slide, also called summer learning loss or summer setback, is the idea that children lose some of what they learned during the school year over the long summer break. Many classes start the fall with review. But the research is less settled than the headlines suggest.
In a 2019 article in Phi Delta Kappan, researcher Megan Kuhfeld of NWEA summed up the evidence. Here are the main points in plain English.
Older studies found a gap. A 1996 review of earlier research found that test scores of students from low-income backgrounds tended to drop between spring and fall, while middle-class and wealthier students held steady in math or improved a bit in reading.
Some of that research had measurement problems. Newer work found that many early studies gave harder tests in the fall than in the spring, which made summer losses look bigger.
For young children, it may be more of a pause. Using national data, one research team found near-zero growth during the summers after kindergarten and first grade, and suggested "summer slowdown" as a better description than "summer loss."
Newer test data still show a dip for many kids. Kuhfeld analyzed MAP Growth scores for more than 3.4 million students. The typical student lost ground in both subjects. Median losses ranged from about one to two months of school-year learning in reading, and a little more than one to three months in math, depending on the grade.
Math tends to slip more than reading. In the elementary grades, 70% to 78% of students lost ground in math, compared with 62% to 73% in reading.
Summer loss is not inevitable. Between 22% and 38% of students actually gained over the summer.
Kuhfeld also found that students who gained the most during the school year were more likely to lose ground over the summer. She notes that some of the fall dip may reflect test timing and how hard students tried on fall tests. The honest summary: many children dip somewhat, especially in math, but the size of the loss is debated and plenty of kids hold steady or grow.
A large RAND Corporation study looked at free, voluntary summer programs for low-income students in five city school districts, comparing them with a control group. Students who attended at least 20 days of a five to six week program did better in math after the first summer, and in math and reading after a second summer. The researchers stressed that attendance was the key.
Kuhfeld's article adds that other studies have found summer reading programs effective, particularly for low-income students, and that home-based programs that mail books to children have shown some promise. She also notes the research isn't yet conclusive about how much programs explain differences in summer learning. In other words, regular reading and practice are sensible, low-risk bets, not guarantees.
These tips come from a summer reading guide by ColorĂn Colorado, a literacy site from public broadcaster WETA, which gathered advice from reading and library groups.
Make a daily reading time. Set aside a quiet time each day and plan it into summer activities.
Let your child choose. Comics, graphic novels, magazines and popular fiction all count. Children are more motivated when they read what they enjoy.
Read aloud, even to older kids. It helps all ages, especially struggling readers. Silly voices welcome.
Get a library card and visit often. Libraries often run summer reading programs, book clubs and events, and may offer summer reading lists.
Check the level. Have your child read from a page in the middle of a book they picked. If they make five or more errors in about 50 words, it may be too hard. Librarians can help you find a better fit.
Don't set page or minute quotas. The guide also warns against using reading as a punishment. Keep it something your child wants to do.
Listen to audiobooks on long car rides, borrowed from the library.
Connect books to summer plans. Read about dinosaurs after a museum trip, or about sea creatures before a beach day.
Write a little. Postcards to relatives, a summer journal or the family shopping list all count.
Since math tends to slip more, give it a small daily spot too. Short, playful activities work well:
Cook together. Measure ingredients, double a recipe or cut a pizza into equal slices.
Play card and dice games. Adding two dice or racing to 100 practices facts without a worksheet.
Count money. Let your child pay at a market stand or run a lemonade stand and make change.
Do trip math. "We drive 45 minutes and it's 2:30 now. When do we arrive?"
Keep score. Sports, mini golf and board games are full of adding and comparing.
For more ideas, see our guides to math practice at home for kids, reading practice at home and teaching kids to count money.
This is only an example. Mix and match to fit your family's schedule.
Monday: library visit. Each child picks three books.
Tuesday: cook lunch together and measure everything.
Wednesday: ten minutes of a card or dice game.
Thursday: read aloud and talk about a favorite character.
Friday: write a postcard or a journal page.
Weekend: outing math: prices, distances, times and signs to read.
Every day: some reading time your child chooses, and plenty of play.
Partly. Recent large studies show many students score lower in the fall than in the spring, especially in math. But earlier studies had measurement problems, some students gain over the summer, and researchers still debate how big the loss is.
In Kuhfeld's analysis, the typical student lost about one to two months of school-year learning in reading and a little more than one to three months in math. Results varied widely from child to child.
There is no official number. A regular daily reading time helps, but reading guides suggest avoiding strict minute or page quotas so reading stays enjoyable.
Research, including a 2013 review, has found summer reading programs can be effective, particularly for children from low-income families. A library summer reading program is an easy way to keep books coming all summer.
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