The Surprising Truth About Summer Learning Loss
Ideas for hands-on playful learning (no worksheets allowed!)
One quick reminder: My Etsy shop is now open, offering printable resources for families. Right now, there are 4 products listed, but I have many more in the works. Stay tuned. Share with other families you know.
The products include a printable pretend play kit, a social-emotional learning kit, a patient parenting toolkit, and a tech mantra for families. Check them out!
I’m adding two of these resources to the paid subscriber page. If you upgrade to a paid subscription, you get access to two products included in your subscription, along with the full library of resources.
Paid subscribers can find it at the top of the main page, with the header labeled Printables Library.
Do you know the old expression, “two steps forward, one step back?” It may have happened to you on a big work project or lofty health goal. You work hard for months and make good progress, only for that achievement to be erased after a week of challenges or distractions.
Media and advertisers would have us believe that this is what happens to children’s academic growth over the summer…the dreaded “summer slide.” But a new look at the research made me question this idea, and I want to share this perspective with you.
Is Summer Learning Loss Real?
Do children really lose significant learning over the course of the summer break?
One of the most recent studies of this topic was published in Sociological Science in 2023. These scholars considered test scores from three large-scale education data sources. These datasets track students’ performance during the 2010s during the school years and summers.
Related reading: The Tired Parents’ Guide to Educational Summer Activities for Kids
