It happens EVERY year. Students who were on grade level the previous year, start the year BELOW grade level! How does this happen?

Educators see this every year and know that in Math, where foundational ideas are necessary to grasp the next concept, even mild learning loss can snowball and cause students to get discouraged and lose confidence and interest in math.

Personally, I gasp when I read the beginning of the year scores of my students. Most recently 80% of them were below grade level and 38% were two years below grade level! If that happens, check out this post. What Can I Do When My Students’ Gaps Are Too Big?!

A pre-covid study of children in 3rd to 5th grades showed that students lost, on average, about 20 percent of their school-year gains in reading and 27 percent of their school-year gains in math during summer break.

What’s the Solution to the “Summer Slide” Learning Loss?

Some would say – keep kids studying all summer long??? – but yet we also know that kids need time to be kids and sometimes taking a break from academics can make them come back to them with freshness and enthusiasm!

What if we gave them FUN ways to keep the learning coming in the summer? That’s a WIN-WIN!

Here are some things for parents to try, and teachers to suggest over the summer.

1. Become an Entrepreneur

– Encourage your child to start a small business, like opening a lemonade stand or hosting a garage sale. Your child will be naturally drawn to the money aspect. They can also practice their math skills by calculating the cost of supplies, setting prices, and making change for customers.

2. Use Math in Cooking and Baking

Does your child love to be in the kitchen? Or maybe they just love eating and might enjoy the process! Involve them in cooking and baking projects, and use these opportunities to reinforce math concepts. For example, measuring ingredients, doubling or halving recipes, and calculating cooking times are all great ways to practice math skills. Many students have a negative response to fractions in school and this opportunity will help them see them and experience them in a positive light.

3. Make a Math Video

Have your child create a video explaining a math concept they learned during the school year, and share it with younger children in your community. We know that students learn much more deeply when they can not only DO math but can EXPLAIN math to others.

4. Use Math in the Grocery Store

Use grocery shopping as an opportunity to practice math skills. Have your child estimate the total cost of your shopping list, calculate the price per ounce of items, and compare prices between brands.

5. Keep a Math Journal –

Encourage your child to keep a math journal to record their mathematical thinking and reflections over the summer. They can write about the math they encounter in their daily life or describe the strategies they use to solve math problems.

By engaging your child in fun and meaningful math activities, you can prevent learning loss and help them maintain their math skills over the summer. Remember, math is all around us, so take advantage of the opportunities to practice and explore mathematical concepts in your daily life.

Teachers, if you would like a free premade pamphlet for parents suggesting 12 fun ideas to keep math going in the summer click the link below for immediate download.

Fun Summer Math Activities to Prevent Learning Loss

Would you like a DONE FOR YOU packet of no-prep and low-prep activities? Click the photo below.