Home
>
Parenting
>
Secrets from the Classroom: Avoiding Summer Learning Loss

Secrets from the Classroom: Avoiding Summer Learning Loss

In June, elementary school children across North America cheered as they packed up their bags for the final time, and began a much awaited summer vacation. For many this two-month academic hiatus is cause for celebration. However, it can also be a factor in a long standing, yet little publicized, childhood affliction: Summer Learning Loss (SLL).

In 1996, in a synthesis of 39 separate studies, researchers found that the average student, returning to school in September has lost the equivalent of 1.0 to 2.6 months of previous learning-in effect, erasing this amount of learning from their mind. According to the report, the biggest losses occur in the areas of spelling and computational math (multiplication, addition, etc.).

The good news for both parents and students is that this "academic atrophy" can be reduced and even eliminated. While traditional workbooks and review methods work well, why not look for natural opportunities in your day for your children to grow as learners. Here are a few for your consideration:

Kids in the Kitchen. Cooking touches on so many academic skills for kids. The kitchen provides a fun hands-on environment to learn about fractions, measurement, multiplication, division, nutrition, hygiene, and artistic presentation of food. As well, reading cookbooks not only develops literacy skills but can entice reluctant readers to dive in. Get kids involved in measuring and doubling recipes. Learning never tasted so good!

Shopping. Clothes? Food? Tools? It doesn't matter. Younger children can count or add the number of items in your cart, while older ones can keep a running total of the cost. In the store or using fliers at your house, have your kids estimate the differences in prices. Which brands are better deals? Use a calculator, or do "mental math". Shopping in any store also is also a great time to practice handling money skills such as counting change.

Family Trips. Going on a vacation? Have your kids read brochures or go online to learn about things to see or do (reading). Using pen and paper or even a spreadsheet, give them a budget and see if they can plan meals, activities and lodgings for one of the days (math & problem solving). Designate one of your children the trip mapmaker (art, math) or map reader (math). Still others could be in charge of creating a family journal or scrapbook (writing, art). The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.

Have a Family Games Night. Traditional board games give so many opportunities to reinforcing acedemic skills-reading cards, adding dice together, counting spaces, and using money. Games such as Scrabble, Spill & Spell, Scattergories, and Balderdash are not only fun but also strengthen reading skills.

Start with a Hobby. Use your child's current hobby or interest as a starting point. Sports abound with numbers and statistics. Track personal or family stats, or those of famous players. Pick up books or magazines from the library on a favourite topic. Consider a family field trip to a park or museum. He/she doesn't have a hobby? Pick a topic that interests both of you and learn something together.

Combating Summer Learning Loss doesn't have to be complicated or boring-all it takes is a focused effort to find the educational opportunities in what you are already doing. Not only will they be keeping their brains active, they will likely be having so much fun, they won't even know that they are learning!

Award-winning educator, author & parent coach, Rob Stringer is currently working on his first book, Parenting with Intention, and has launched a free monthly newsletter by the same name. Visit http://www.parentingwithintention.ca to subscribe, access resources, or learn more about PWI's parent coaching services.

licensed cleaning services Park Ridge ..

In The News:

Chrome extension spyware disguised as a free VPN service highlights security risks after it captured private browsing data from trusted sites.

New research shows how fatty acids in cooking oil can safely dissolve and recover silver from circuit boards without harmful chemicals or environmental damage.

The Fox News AI newsletter gives you information on the latest AI technology advancements, and about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Anthropic investigates alarming AI abuse case where hacker automated entire cybercrime campaign using Claude, stealing sensitive data from defense and healthcare firms.

TikTok, Meta and YouTube restrict Charlie Kirk shooting videos with age gates and warnings while X faces criticism for allowing continued circulation.

Cybercriminals use fake troubleshooting websites to trick Mac users into running terminal commands that install Shamos malware through ClickFix tactics.

San Francisco startup Fable launches Showrunner, an AI platform dubbed the 'Netflix of AI' that generates animated episodes from text descriptions with Amazon support.

Apple raised iPhone prices for some models despite receiving tariff relief from President Donald Trump, with the new lineup starting at $799 for the base model.

A two-story 3D concrete printed home in Western Australia demonstrates faster construction methods that could reshape American housing amid rising costs.

Credit scores remain important during retirement for insurance rates and housing applications, while seniors become prime targets for identity theft and financial scams.

Scammers now send unexpected packages with QR codes that redirect victims to fraudulent websites or download malicious software to steal sensitive information.

Meeting AI tools record private conversations alongside work discussions, creating privacy risks that can be managed with proper settings and awareness.

Hotel privacy concerns are valid but rare, with methods to detect hidden tech using smartphone flashlights, mirror tests and scanning apps.

Improve your Wi-Fi speed and reliability with 10 simple router optimization tips that don't require special apps or expensive subscriptions.

A Columbia University breach exposed names, Social Security numbers and academic records of nearly 869,000 people, with notifications beginning in August.

Rental car drivers use AI-powered apps like Proofr to protect themselves from unfair damage fees as major companies deploy automated inspection tools.

Fox News' AI newsletter brings you the latest on technology advancements around artificial intelligence.

OnTrac data breach between April 13-15, 2025, exposed personal information of over 40,000 people including Social Security numbers and medical records.

A woman named Wika announces her engagement to an AI chatbot sparking worldwide debate about virtual relationships and technology.

The notorious people search site National Public Data relaunches despite a previous breach affecting 3 billion individuals, raising fresh privacy concerns.

Revolutionary TRAUMAGEL gel controls life-threatening bleeding from gunshot wounds and traumatic injuries, helping first responders prevent prehospital deaths.

Protect your home network by enabling proper encryption, creating strong passwords, checking connected devices and using VPN and antivirus software.

The Navy's solar-powered Skydweller drone flew nonstop for 73 hours in Mississippi, proving renewable energy can power long-endurance military missions.

Moving and downsizing expose seniors to identity theft and scams as data brokers collect real estate records and personal information to sell to criminals.

ShengShu's Vidar technology revolutionizes humanoid robot training by using AI-generated synthetic video, reducing required training data from hours to just 20 minutes.