Preventing The Summer Slide: Summer Learning for Kids

“Summer slide,” or summer learning loss, is the decline in academic skills and knowledge that students may experience during summer break. Having students do educational activities over the summer helps them return to school ready to learn, keeping their academic momentum.

In this article, we’ll go into detail about the summer slide, as well as provide tips and tricks to prevent summer learning loss.

What is the Summer Slide?

The “summer slide,” or summer learning loss, is the loss of academic knowledge that happens when students are not engaged in learning activities over the summer. This loss often happens because students aren’t practicing what they have learned or building on their existing knowledge during the summer. This especially shows with math and reading, which need continuous practice.

Studies show that younger children and low-income students are particularly affected, as they often have fewer resources for summer learning. Addressing the summer slide is important for equitable academic progress and long-term educational success.

How to Prevent the Summer Slide

1. Creating a Learning Schedule

A dedicated learning schedule can help you balance relaxation and educational activities with your child. Tailor it to you and your student’s needs — whether you practice math facts for 10 minutes each night before dinner or go to the library and read together each week, a schedule that makes time for learning can be a great way for your child to retain knowledge.

2. Encouraging Reading

Children should read regularly to build and maintain important skills like decoding, fluency, and comprehension. Encouraging your child to read can take away some of the friction when it comes to practicing reading skills. You can also provide books that fit your child’s interests and reading level and have them practice reading aloud to you.

If your child isn’t necessarily interested in reading, there are ways to make reading even more fun! Try keeping a reading log, playing reading bingo, or attending story time at your local public library.

To watch engaging lessons and keep your child’s reading skills sharp, check out the Miacademy Learning Channel on Youtube! You can also follow Miacademy on Instagram and Facebook for more fun reading activities.

3. Incorporating Educational Games and Apps

Incorporating educational technology makes learning fun, interactive, and personalized! Engaged students are more eager to learn and more likely to retain what they learn. For example, when students learn with Miacademy, they enjoy: 

• Interactive Lessons: Miacademy offers interactive lessons that include games, quizzes, and multimedia content to make learning enjoyable and engaging for students.
• Customizable Avatars: Students can create and customize their own MiniMe, adding a fun, personalized element to their online learning experience.
• Reward System: Students can earn Gold for completing lessons and activities, which they can spend on games, prizes, shop items, and more!
• Project-Based Learning: In addition to the digital format, Miacademy includes access to offline projects and activities that encourage creativity and practical application of knowledge, making learning more dynamic.
• Social Learning Environment: Miacademy provides a safe, moderated platform for students to interact, collaborate, and share their work with peers, fostering a sense of community and engagement.

If you’re looking to beat the summer slide, try out Miacademy for 30 days for just $1.99!

4. Promoting Daily Writing

For older students, practicing writing can also have a positive impact on reading and comprehension skills. If your student likes to write, they may enjoy: 

• Journaling
• Creative writing prompts
• Writing letters or emails to friends and family
• Publishing their stories on the Miacademy Weekly, our student-run newspaper

5. Engaging in Hands-On Learning Activities

If you’d like to keep screen time to a minimum, the opportunities for hands-on learning are virtually endless! Check out some of these fun summer activities for kids:

6. Exploring Nature and Outdoor Learning

Summer is a wonderful time to explore the outdoors! If your learner is interested in the natural world, keep the momentum going with some fun outdoor summer activities! You can: 

• Take a nature walk to practice identifying different species
• Start a garden together to learn about the life cycle of a plant (if you have garden pests, learn about the food web too!)
• Create nature-themed crafts, such as a cloud spotter or outdoor scavenger hunt
• Go stargazing to learn about different types of stars, constellations, and celestial bodies 

7. Encouraging Curiosity and Exploration

Children are curious and love to learn by nature — if you’re having trouble finding activities your child would like to do, try letting them lead and help them explore their own interests. Simply providing resources and opportunities for interest-led learning can lead to some exciting discoveries!

Where to Go

As homeschoolers often know, learning doesn’t have to only happen at home! Here are some ways to get out of the house and learn something new:

• Summer Camps and Workshops: Check out academic-focused camps and workshops near you! Camps that focus on art, science, and sports are all popular choices.
• Local Libraries and Museums: Many libraries have summer reading programs or story time events for kids. In addition, museums may have special summer passes or events that your kids may enjoy!
• State or National Parks: If you’re lucky enough to live near a park, look into getting a park pass and make visiting part of your routine! Whether you go on a hike every weekend or stop by to picnic during the week, exploring nature is a great way to inspire curiosity and get some sunshine!
• Online Learning Platforms: If traveling isn’t in the budget, try taking a virtual class or course! There are tons of fun educational sources available online. You can also use free resources such as YouTube to learn a new hobby or skill! 

Stay Learning with Miacademy

Engaging in summer reading and educational games not only helps retain knowledge but also makes learning enjoyable and exciting! With Miacademy, you can take your learning year-round and on the go, wherever your summer takes you. Enroll your child in interest-led courses or extend their My World time this summer to keep them engaged and learning this summer break. 

If you aren’t already a member, you can access our summer seasonal content completely free, or try out our full curriculum for 30 days risk free! If you’re wondering how Miacademy or MiaPrep can help your child on their learning journey, please feel free to reach out to our friendly customer service agents! They’ll be happy to help you with any questions you may have.