Three top tips to avoid learning loss this summer

The summer holidays are a challenging time for children to maintain the literacy skills that have been developed over the concluding academic year. The absence of structure that school classes provide when combined with potential reluctance to read, results in an average summer loss of 2 months of reading skills. Up to six weeks are then needed to re-learn skills lost over the break.

So, here at Bookmark, we’ve identified three useful tips which will help maintain a child’s literacy proficiency.

Tip 1: Short and Frequent

Try 2-3 hours a week to prevent learning loss.

Attempting to break this demanding target down into fewer, shorter periods is more likely to foster successful retention of reading skills.

Long, tiring periods of reading increase the potential for future reluctance. Make sure to make these short sessions frequent to keep these skills fresh in the child’s mind.

Tip 2: Enable reading to be interest-led

Allowing the freedom to choose a preferred subject or topic to read around heightens a child’s enthusiasm for reading. Free from the restrictions of formal teaching, enabling the ability to pursue an interest increases the likelihood and enthusiasm for reading.

Reading around something the child is interested in will make sure the skills they have gained at school are consolidated.  

Ben and Marta’s stories are prime examples of this in practice. Resources specific to the interest further aid this process. Suitable resources might include news of a new signing for football-mad Ben, or a short story for Marta’s butterfly obsession. 

Tip 3: Explore

Aim to expand reading outside traditional settings and resources, even where there may not be an abundance of reading to be done. Exhibitions, museums and galleries, are a great way to maintain literacy skills and are also a lovely day out activity.

These visits can be short and frequent (Tip 1) and also peak the interest of the child (Tip 2) which will in turn increase the likelihood of skill retention.

Ultimately, any attempt to do extra reading work over the long break is great. Efforts may not always be rewarding, but the more reading done over the summer, the better placed and more ready a child will be for the 2022/23 academic year!