This isn’t a new concern (Horizon Education Centers provided tips to combat this in 2018). Having said that, with school students shifting to online learning during the second half of the 2019-2020 school year, they may be more vulnerable to learning loss now than in previous years.
So, during the summer of 2020, it’s crucial to provide your children with opportunities to learn and grow for a successful 2020-2021 school year.
THEJournal.com shares research that used previous summer learning loss data to predict how COVID-related school closings could cause some students to:
Researchers are using the term “COVID-19 slide” to show how some students can be struggling with the effects of summer learning loss because of the late winter/spring school closures. Others are referring to this as the “second-semester slide.” No matter which term you use, when you add the loss of learning that often takes place during the summer months, you’ve got a double whammy.
The good news is that there’s plenty you can do to help your children adjust to the unusual situations in 2020 and keep them learning and progressing. To make that happen, first choose a child care center that shares this philosophy (Horizon Education Centers does!). Then, create fun learning opportunities for your children at home that will supplement what they’re experiencing at the center.
To get started, here are three fun ideas that your children can enjoy at home this summer—and here are some more.
OxfordLearning.com suggests that in a typical year, it takes about two to three hours of focused learning each week to prevent summer learning loss. Coupled with COVID-related shutdowns, that figure may need to be boosted—but the point is that this learning loss can be addressed.
Recommendations on this site include:
Here's another idea: Take pictures of summer learning activities enjoyed by your children and make an album, either in a book or online. In future years, this album can remind your children how adaptable, flexible, and creative they really are!