3 Ways to Avoid the COVID Slide

Over the course of summer break, children experience what’s called “summer slide.” Summer slide happens when kids spend an extended period of time away from academics and forget some of what they learned during the previous school year.

This year, teachers are gearing up for what educators are calling “COVID slide.” Many kids haven’t had consistent face-to-face class time since March of 2020 and it is anticipated that some kids will be a full year behind in their learning due to COVID.

According to the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA), a global not-for-profit educational organization, students stand to lose more than 50% of what they learned in mathematics last year and could lose more than 30% of new reading skills acquired. The long-term effects of the setbacks COVID forced upon students is unknown, but a study reported by the Journal of Labor Economics says that students who lose 80-90 days of school will feel the financial impact into their 30’s.

Educators are preparing for these setbacks when normal classes start in the fall, but there are things kids and parents can do this summer to avoid COVID slide.

Online Learning

LearningRx CEO Kim Hanson created a series of brain training videos, which are published to YouTube every Tuesday. The videos cover different tips to train your brain and keep kids’ skills sharp all summer long. You will learn skills to build short- and long-term memory, and you’ll have fun doing it too!

Summer Reading

Many kids expect to take a break from academics all summer long, including from reading. But sneaking in a few books here and there will have a big impact when school starts again. Here are a few ways to inspire your kids to read all summer long:

• Incentivize — Celebrate the completion of a book with an ice cream party. Or, if the book was made into a movie, rent the movie and have a family movie night!
• Read aloud — Engaging with kids by reading to them creates a bond and fond memories surrounding books. When they are older, have them read aloud to you to build their confidence.
• Choose a cliffhanger — Page after page, your child will stay engaged while anticipating what’s going to happen next.
• Subscribe to a magazine — Kids love getting mail. If reading books is a challenge, subscribe to magazines covering subjects that interest your child.

Activity Books

You’re likely seeing homeschool activity books pop up everywhere. These books are a valuable resource in sharpening skills from mathematics to science to reading.

One important way to keep your child engaged with learning all summer long is to carve out time each day. When they know what to expect, kids are more amenable to focusing and absorbing information rather than when this time is sprung on them. And above all, use patience and keep learning fun.

Avoid COVID Slide With Help From LearningRx

COVID may have had an impact on your child’s education, but it wasn’t their fault. Teachers are preparing to support your students as best as they can this fall. You can play a big part in supporting your child by scheduling a brain skills assessment with LearningRx.

Contact us today to gain insight into where you can spend a little more time encouraging your student to keep learning this summer and avoid COVID slide.