Avoid the Summer Slide: Four Strategies that Keep Skills Sharp

Summer has finally arrived, and students across Oregon are looking forward to long, lazy days and family time. While students have every right to enjoy a well-deserved break, no one wants summer fun to lead to academic setbacks once fall rolls around. When students don't stay engaged with their learning over long breaks, they may need extra time to get back into the academic rhythm when school resumes.

With just a few simple habits, caregivers can help students stay sharp to avoid “summer slide” while still enjoying their time off. Summer also offers families a valuable opportunity to reflect on the previous year to determine whether the current education approach meets their students' needs. Here are a few tips to help your student maintain their learning momentum during the summer break while also giving your family insight into the educational approach that works best.

Four Essential Summer Learning Strategies

Caregivers don't need to start their own mini-summer school to keep students on track. Instead, they just need to create routines that cater to children's natural curiosity while staying involved in their academic progress. These four strategies can help make summer learning feel natural and enjoyable.

1. Maintain Academic Rhythm 

While summer should be relaxing, maintaining some academic rhythm will help students avoid a jarring transition back to structured learning in the fall. After all, kids thrive with a little structure, even though it’s often the first thing to drop over break. 

Caregivers can help by implementing some routines into their kids' days. Waking up at the same time every day (even if it's later than usual), eating meals on a set schedule, or creating a list of required chores will help mimic the daily routine they experience at school. 

Beyond daily schedules, caregivers should also set aside dedicated time during the day for activities that engage students' critical thinking skills and creativity, which are the same mental muscles they exercise during the school year. This could be reading, arts and crafts projects, building with LEGOs, writing in a journal, or even sewing or crocheting. 

2. Leverage Technology for Personalized Learning

Caregivers don't have to come up with learning activities on their own. Many school districts offer digital resources for students to use over the summer, allowing for personalized learning at home.

Digital learning tools are no longer a one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, they can work at a student's unique pace, adapt to their individual needs, and fill specific learning gaps. At Oregon Charter Academy (ORCA), we offer programs such as iReady and IXL, which can design specific learning experiences based on student diagnostic information and enable students to practice skills at their appropriate grade level. 

If your district doesn’t offer digital summer resources, local public libraries often do. Many provide access to educational databases, online platforms, and summer reading programs.

3. Address Learning Gaps Proactively

One significant benefit of online learning tools is that they can effectively identify potential learning gaps. This additional information can be a critical tool for caregivers who want to support their children over the summer. Over time, unaddressed learning gaps can make students feel overwhelmed and less confident in their academic abilities. 

When caregivers identify learning gaps, they can focus summer learning activities on those areas. For reading gaps, caregivers can choose books that are slightly below their student's grade level to help build confidence. If a student struggles with math, caregivers can ensure they have plenty of opportunities to practice in fun ways, such as cooking (fraction practice) or helping to plan a family budget. Then, when the new school year arrives, they can communicate with their student's new teacher to ensure they get the support they need.

For high school students, addressing learning gaps might mean making up for lost credits. Many school districts offer support programs over the summer to help students recover credits from courses required for graduation. For example, ORCA's Credit Recovery Summer School Program offers a variety of credit recovery courses, including algebra, chemistry, world history, and language arts, to help students get back on track. 

If your student is displaying learning gaps or struggling to complete coursework required for graduation, it may be a sign to explore additional support options.

4. Prepare for Significant Transitions

Summer can also serve as an opportunity to prepare students for significant academic transitions in the upcoming school year. For students headed into middle or high school, big social changes and increased academic expectations can pose obstacles to learning. 

Students should never be surprised when expectations change as they progress through their academic careers. Caregivers can help support their students before major transitions by communicating about these new responsibilities and then creating opportunities to practice these skills through household activities and responsibilities. 

Some school districts offer programs to help students prepare for the next phase of their education. For example, ORCA offers a Summer Bridge program for students who will be entering the 9th grade after the summer. The program provides students with a jump-start on high school coursework through a four-week course designed to build strong work habits in math and language arts. Students can even earn credit towards graduation for participating.   

When Summer Learning Reveals Bigger Questions 

Summer gives families time and space to observe their student's natural learning style away from school pressures. As caregivers implement these strategies, they might start to notice patterns — gaps in knowledge, anxiety about transitions, or a general misalignment with their current school setting. 

A generation ago, students had few options other than traditional brick-and-mortar classrooms. Today, students can receive a robust education in an online environment that allows them to work at their own pace, free from the pressures of in-person classes. Online school is great for kids who face chronic struggles at a brick-and-mortar school. If some of these concerns sound familiar to your family, summer might be the perfect time to explore whether a different education approach could better serve your student's needs.

Guiding Your Student Towards Success

Caregivers who are concerned about their students could begin by exploring the additional opportunities their existing school district provides or potential accommodations that may be available for struggling kids. If those solutions are not satisfactory, it may be appropriate to begin searching for other schooling options outside the home district. 

No matter the path you choose, staying engaged during the summer helps your student maintain momentum, identify areas for growth, and feel confident heading into the new year.

Want to learn more about how ORCA supports students across Oregon? Join us for a virtual information session to meet our team, explore our online platform, and see how ORCA could be the right fit for your family. There's still plenty of time to ensure your student starts their next school year off on the right foot.