Ask any teacher in the fall about the skill level of the kids entering. You will likely get an earful about how they are not prepared for their current grade. They may secretly blame the previous year’s teacher. But most likely the problem has nothing to do with how many skills the children learned in the lower grade. The problem is how many skills children loose during the summer. Some call the problem “Summer Slump,” “Summer Slide,” “Summer Regression,” or “Summer Learning Loss.” Whatever term you use, there are mountains of evidence showing that children not engaged in academic pursuits during the summer time lose valuable skills. The typical entering 3 rd grader is less capable in reading, writing, and math than the typical exiting 2 nd grader.
Education experts attribute summer learning loss to lack of educational opportunities. John Hopkins School of Education recommends changing summer school programs from a punitive and/or remedial model to one that includes enrichment and skill building. Kids involved in enrichment programs experience less summer loss than those left to entertain themselves, or those who play all day, every day. Of course, enrichment programs require some investment from the parents. This investment explains why summer learning loss is more significant in children living in poverty. Many children in more affluent homes actually have a slight increase in reading scores. Even children from homes not struggling with poverty experience summer slide with math.
Many families provide books for their children to read for their leisure during the summer, but neglect to provide fun mathematical opportunities. During the summer, the majority of students lose math skills equivalent to two months of instruction. Math teachers must spend 3 to 6 weeks in the beginning of the school year re-teaching math skills the children learned the previous spring.
What a waste of time and resources!
You might be reading this in despair wondering what you can do. The answer is simple. Provide your child fun ways to engage in math skills throughout the summer months. Children who continue to interact with numbers and math concepts will not experience the same level of summer regression as those who don’t do math over the summer. Some might not experience it at all. It would be great if schools didn’t have to reteach skills and teachers could simply move on to the next set of math skills. But you might be wondering, if your child moves ahead and everyone else moves backward, what will happen to their math instruction in the fall? Kids who are at, or above grade level, may suddenly find themselves on a more advanced track. Kids who have been struggling in math may not be as far behind as they were in the spring.
Many parents buy their kid a workbook and consider the problem solved. These workbooks may get used willingly a few times and then the kid usually finds very creative ways to avoid ever touching them again. Can you blame them? When was the last time you willingly used a math workbook during your vacation time? At Parker Mathnasium, we know math should be fun and incorporated into daily life. Our article, It’s Not Too Early to Make Summer Math Plans gives easy tips for incorporating math fun into the summer routine.
Even if you get your kid to do a math workbook, it is usually just reviewing basic arithmetic. Workbooks seldom, if ever, encourage children to use mathematical reasoning or creative thinking.
A math enrichment course may do more than stop the summer slide in its tracks. An individualized instruction program, like the one at Parker Mathnasium, will help your child make significant advancements in math skills during the summer months. Imagine the boost to your child’s confidence in the fall when they do well on that first pre-test of the school year. The work they did during the summer will get rewarded with the opportunity to advance to new material.
Math enrichment during the summer does not have be drudgery. In fact, the more enjoyable it is, the more your child is going to gain from it. You will want to make sure it fits your child’s pace and level.
Please take a moment to read previous articles about math programs. The Tutor Paradox explainswhy traditional tutoring often does not significantly change a child’s skills. The second half of Stop the Tears, Arguments & Whining during-math homework describes the pros and cons of online tutoring, math tutors, and math centers. Parents with kids who need challenging material in math should read 6 Ways for Accelerated
and Advanced Math Students to Get Excited about Math Again.
Finally, Summer Camps and Mathnasium go hand in hand. At Mathnasium, we make math fun and have flexible scheduling.
Join the growing movement of educators and parents dedicated to eliminating the problem of the
“summer slide.” Call or email Allison at (303) 840-1184 or [email protected] to schedule a no risk assessment.
