Families bristle at the idea of making children study over the summer, but the research is clear. The loss of learning over the summer is real and it is significant. Ask any school teacher about summer learning loss and you will find out that the first four to six weeks of a new school year is spent bringing students back to where they were at the end of the previous school year. Imagine how much more progress children would make if they didn’t lose vital skills over the summer. Here are just a few facts about summer learning loss.
Students score lower on standardized tests at the end of the summer than at the beginning of the summer. This is most relevant to high school students who will take the critical PSAT, ACT and SAT tests in the fall. Fall PSAT scores are used as the initial screen for National Merit Scholarships, a big reason why so many students seek summer tutoring for these tests.
Students lose about two months of math skills and one month of spelling skills over the summer. Kids why don’t read over the summer see similar losses in reading skills. The worst part is, these losses accumulate and follow the student into college and beyond.
Parents play a key role in filling the gaps over the summer – as our savvy College Nannies and Tutors parents already know. They take their children to the library, give them reading lists and provide workbooks in math. This certainly helps but won’t make up for a child who has fallen behind in science, math or reading.
So, what can we do about it? Summer is a great time for students who have struggled in a specific subject area to get the help needed to hit the ground running in the fall. There are fewer distractions in the summer and some focused attention on specific concepts can go a long way toward ensuring a student’s mastery and confidence. This time of year, College Nannies and Tutors actively engages students in our summer STEM and Enrichment tutoring programs including one-on-one subject-specific tutoring, STEM Camps, ACT prep and SAT prep and enrichment classes.
Want to know more about how we can develop a customized plan for your student this summer? Call us at 847-305-2952 more information!
