Summer slide isn’t a boogeyman—here’s what to do

pressure-free summer – Summer learning loss can be real, but it doesn’t have to mean panic. Experts say parents can use everyday moments and short, low-pressure routines to help children maintain skills, while schools can support students with brief review time and carefully designe

The last week of school can feel like a release—until the calendar flips and parents wonder whether a few months of freedom will quietly erase what students worked so hard to learn.

One Missouri State University education professor pushes back on the fear. “But unless you’re already worried about the academic performance of your kid and looking to make sure that you use the summer really well for building those additional supports and additional learning. summer slide isn’t this big boogeyman that we need to all be kind of running scared from. ” she said.

For families who are already concerned, summer can be a practical window to catch up. Schools sometimes run summer school for a few weeks. or offer programs that combine learning. fun activities. and a review of the previous year. For parents. district programs can also be “usually cheap or free. ” Kuhfeld said. which means students can stay engaged during the day. often with their peers.

The key, educators say, is keeping it manageable and grounded in real life.

Dr. M.H. Raza. an associate professor in the College of Education at Missouri State University. recommends keeping summer learning simple for younger kids. “Parents can make it natural; they don’t need to make learning a burden on their children,” he said. Raza adds that “20 minutes a day of pressure-free learning activity” is usually enough to help children grow intellectually during the summer.

He then pointed parents to activities that don’t feel like school.

Kids can create a shopping list and bring it to the grocery store. look at products. compare prices. and help decide which item to buy. On drives. parents can point out road signs and ask children to read them. or ask them to spell out words they see. Parents can also talk with their children about their life stories and experiences.

For hands-on learning, Raza suggests getting kids involved in baking or cooking, including measuring ingredients, as well as participating in backyard projects or science experiments.

Teachers, too, aren’t supposed to start from scratch.

Learning doesn’t only rely on what happens during summer break. For educators, researchers suggest teachers build time for reviewing the previous year’s content at the beginning of the year. Kuhfeld said most teachers are already doing this, based on past surveys and research.

“Teachers face such a challenge in terms of having to review material and fit in the whole year’s worth of curriculum,” Kuhfeld said. “Building in time for review seems to be pretty normative, and the expectation is that kids won’t have remembered everything they’ve learned in the previous year.”

That reality applies beyond elementary grades.

Raza says learning loss can also show up in older students. including high school and college students. even if it isn’t tracked as clearly. “I believe that older kids. especially high school students and college students. also have a learning loss. but that learning loss is not quite documented. ” he said.

He links the effect to how learning happens in practice—how students stay engaged. think critically. reflect on their work. and apply skills hands-on. When older students become disconnected from the academic environment or their collaborative peer groups. Raza said. they often experience learning loss. Still, he said more research is needed to quantify and measure the impact.

At Pinole Valley High School, Principal Todd Irving also sees the need for options that don’t turn summer into a second school year.

He tells students to explore non-traditional summer school activities. Pinole Valley High School offers a program during the summer. but students can also take courses at a local community college or even online. “There are multiple ways that you can do summer school,” Irving said. “We encourage them to read and just do different things.”.

Even then, he cautions students against doing too much. “One of the things that we don’t want to do is burn them out in summer school. and so that when they come back in September. by the time we get to October. November. they’re like ‘I’m burned. ’” he said. “So we have to be really strategic with how we do that.”.

The lesson across ages and settings is the same: learning over summer doesn’t have to be a fight against a mythical threat. It can be a planned. low-pressure bridge—brief routines for younger kids. structured review at the start of the year. and summer opportunities that support students without exhausting them.

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