The 'Summer Slide' and What You Can Do About it

As caregivers to little ones, you may have heard the term 'summer slide' at one point or another. Or perhaps you've been exposed to random statistics around how language and/or academic skills regress during the summertime as a result of school being out for two months. It can be worrisome (to say the least!), but it helps to know exactly what to look for and what you can do about it.

Here's what the research actually shows:

School-Aged Children:

• Students 'lose' on average one month of progress across each academic area (Harry, 2023)

• Losses are more significant for children from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds (Davies & Aurini, 2013)

• Losses have a 'compounding' effect over time, meaning that towards the older grades, a loss of a few months per year can translate to years behind in academic progress (Davies & Aurini, 2013)

• The more academic gain in a given school year, the greater the size of academic loss the following summer (Kuhfeld, 2019).

Preschool Children (limited research here):

• Non-school experiences prior to the start of formal schooling are heavily influenced by socioeconomic status. Children from affluent families begin schooling being more 'school-ready' than those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Summer losses are significantly greater for poorer children, while affluent children tend to 'boost' their skills over the summer (Davies & Aurini, 2013).

Toddlers (very limited research here):

• Some toddlers may show shifts in skills like vocabulary when moving out of more structured environments (e.g. daycare), but research is needed to examine these shifts in greater detail.

• Regular language-rich interactions over the summer can be protective in nature, while children lacking in these language-facilitating interactions are at a greater risk for loss of skills (Skibbe et al., 2012)

A Note on Breaks from Speech-Language Therapy:

• Breaks from therapy (and more so extended breaks) can translate to regressions in specific speech and language skills. However, speech-language therapy is about momentum over time. Small breaks will not lead to detrimental outcomes. Breaks can be very positive and are even encouraged! Discuss your child's therapy schedule with your Speech-Language Pathologist to determine what's best for them and consider what's best for your family overall.

Here's what you can do about it:

• Be Proactive. If you know that your child had a particular area of difficulty in school, prioritize working informally on that subject area during the summertime (I know this is a big ask for busy parents!). When school starts: touch base with your child's teacher and get on the same page about how best to support your child together.

  • For little ones working on speech and language goals - see if there are home-based activities that you can work on during the summer time.

• Prioritize Summer Story-time: Literacy skills form the foundation for so many academic skills. Make story-time a priority for all of your children and let them pick the books. Talk about what the story is about during and after reading. Have children anticipate what might happen next in the story. For little ones: choose simple books that they are interested in with lots of repetition. This will help to support their early literacy skills as they begin to learn how to read.

• Shift your Perspective: consider that tests and report cards are a snapshot of your child's performance at one point in time. It's difficult to isolate the effects of 'school' from everything else going on (like how you support your child during evenings and weekends!). Look at trends over time and check in regularly with your child, their therapists and their educators.

• Capitalize on your Community: summertime is a great time to take advantage of community resources not typically offered during the school year (or resources that you are too busy to access during the busy school season!). Local play groups, family fun nights, trips to the library and beyond can serve as great outlets to connect with other families and to sneak in some learning when you can.

Questions about the summer slide? Comment below.

References:

Davies, S., & Aurini, J. (2013). Summer Learning Inequality in Ontario. Canadian Public Policy, 39(2), 287–307. https://doi.org/10.3138/CPP.39.2.287

Harry, S. (2023). Avoiding the Summer Slide: Tier One and Two Supports Targeting Early Readers. Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education, 7(2). https://doi.org/10.58948/2834-8257.1025

Kuhfeld, M. (2019, June 6). Rethinking summer slide: The more you gain, the more you lose. KappanOnline.

Skibbe, L. E., Grimm, K. J., Bowles, R. P., & Morrison, F. J. (2012). Literacy Growth in the Academic Year Versus Summer From Preschool Through Second Grade: Differential Effects of Schooling Across Four Skills. Scientific Studies of Reading, 16(2), 141–165. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888438.2010.543446