Prevent Summer Learning Loss: How One-to-One Support Helps

Summer break can range from six weeks to ten weeks. With this in mind, students assigned summer reading or honors coursework to complete before the new school year continue to grow throughout summer break. On the other hand, students with no assignments often experience summer learning loss, a decline in knowledge and academic skills. Implementing a summer learning program or project can help students keep the momentum from the school year and prepare for the next grade.

On average, students learn and retain 10-20 words per day in school with regular exposure to new academic vocabulary. At the same time, in an engaging, dedicated practice with contextual learning, students can gain and retain 20-40 words per day. Repeated exposure to vocabulary, in meaningful context, supports deeper understanding and sustained academic growth. In other words, continued participation in an academic program over the summer strengthens and nurtures reading and math skills.

Engagement and Routine Nurture Student Growth

Engagement and routine are crucial in preventing summer learning loss, also known as “summer slide”.While students need time to rest after assessments and a busy school year, there are many ways to keep them engaged in their learning during the summer months.

Experiences such as trips to museums, guided tours, and wildlife centers can help add context to what students are learning in the classroom. Immersion in real-life examples, along with opportunities to learn from experts during a day at the museum or zoo, supports student learning and engagement.

Skill-building programs offered in small groups or in one-to-one learning settings give students the space to ask questions, share ideas, and receive individualized feedback. These structured learning opportunities prevent summer learning loss by helping kids maintain a consistent learning routine.

Schools measure student progress through assessments or state standardized tests at the beginning, middle, and end of the year, which often show skill decline following summer break. However, students who participate in summer programs are more likely to show stronger retention and assessment results, helping them return to school confident and prepared.

Helping Older Youth Sustain Momentum Through the Summer

Older youth can use a summer program to prepare for SAT/ACT, explore college and career pathways, and skills needed for success in secondary school to feel confident moving on to the next level in their education.

Given that in first-generation college-enrollment households, one-third of college freshmen experience “summer melt” and fail to enroll in college in the fall, even after being accepted. The lost momentum in the summer can be faced head-on with support, routine, and engagement in an academic setting. One-to-one learning support allows for student programs to be tailored to the specific needs and interests of the student. 

When Should Students Sign up for a Summer Program? 

In general, flexible scheduling is easier to manage with a jump start on the calendar planning. There are students who proactively prevent summer learning loss by committing to a learning program or camp every summer, a year in advance. With this in mind, the majority of students start signing up for summer programs in February and March to accommodate their summer vacations and extracurricular activity schedules. Equally important, in April and May each year, student progress is assessed, and their strengths and skill gaps are available to discuss with teachers and parents.

Prevent Summer Learning Loss with a Quality Summer Program at Brightmont Academy

Brightmont Academy’s skill-building sessions are available all summer. In fact, programs include Reading, Writing, Math, and Science Skill-building, College and Career Preparation, SAT/ACT Preparation, Kindergarten Readiness, Middle School Readiness, High School Readiness, and Executive Function Courses. That’s right, summer programs are available for all ages and stages of youth at Brightmont Academy! 

Ultimately, summer programs at Brightmont Academy are achieved in one-hour sessions.

Specifically, programs are designed to be completed in ten, twenty, or thirty-three sessions. Students can attend all summer and spread out their sessions one or more times per week, or they can attend multiple sessions per day and complete a program in less time. With attention to scheduling around student needs, summer programs are scheduled around your family’s needs, accommodating vacations, camps, and summer activities. All things considered, the skill-building and preparation programs at Brightmont Academy keep the academic momentum with one-to-one support.

Help your child prevent summer learning loss and watch their confidence soar in a Brightmont summer program!