Summer Learning Loss: The Benefits of a Summer Tutor

It's summer, it's fun and time to relax! Relaxation is well deserved and shouldn't be neglected, however it can also cause development of what's called "summer learning loss". This loss encompasses knowledge gaps that increase over the months a student isn't in school, which studies say can cause significant issues when they return in the fall (Cooper, 2003).

Summer Learning Loss: What Is It?

Simply put, it's the occurrence of a loss of knowledge accrued from simply not being in a "learning environment" for long period of time. We've all dealt with it, but it does affect some students greater than others. Studies suggest that although student scores increase throughout the years, there is still a significant loss of knowledge between May and September, estimated to be a loss of around 3-4 months of both Math and Reading skills during this time.

Image 1: Comparison of standardized Math skills across students through Fall, Winter, and Summer semesters (McNeish, 2021)

How can Tutoring help?

So now we know what Summer Learning Loss is, and now we know how it affects our students, how do we stop it? Simple, just make sure your child continues to learn! This can be through summer readings, science museum visits, or you guessed it... Tutoring!

Studies show summer tutoring can significantly improve learning comprehension without affecting how students perceive learning (Strong, 2023), so they're still able to enjoy summer fun while keeping their knowledge base strong. Students can work in groups or one-on-one, and still find all the benefits of continued summer learning.

With an experienced tutor, students can benefit from standardized educational curriculum for their reading, math, science, and writing skills tailored to their specific needs. With Nucleus Tutoring, your student can also bolster their testing confidence and catch up on past lessons that may have caused significant trouble before summer, and they can even get ahead on classwork for the fall!

How do I choose a Summer Tutor?

If you're looking for a summer tutor, there are a few things you'd want to consider in the tutor before hiring them. First, you'll want to choose a tutor who's able to match your expectations for the summer, whether that be a tutor that specializes in math, reading, or is just a general education tutor, catering their skills to your child's needs is vital to preventing summer learning loss. Second, we recommend avoiding services that promise to boost your child a "whole grade level up" in a subject, these expectations tend to be unrealistic and could negatively affect your child's self-confidence in the long-term. Third, you'll want to find a tutor who can be flexible with scheduling, as tutoring in-home, online, or at different times of the week can positively enforce the relaxing environment of summer vacation, which then also helps students learn.

Nucleus Tutoring is happy to provide strong, professional, and dedicated tutors during the summer months. We're able to meet you and your student at times and locations convenient for you, such as libraries or even at home. Our tutors have a combined 150 years of tutoring experience, and have the compassion and empathy to ensure your student both learns and enjoys doing it.

Conclusion

Summer is a time to enjoy the sun and time away from a strict schedule, and that doesn't have to end. Summer Learning Loss can greatly hurt your child's grades in the fall, but tutoring is a great way to counter its negative effects. Tutors can provide the flexible structure, individualized learning plan, and overall relaxing learning experience that can ensure your child's ready to return in the fall.

References:

1. Cooper, Harris. "Summer Learning Loss: The Problem and Some Solutions. ERIC Digest." (2003).

2. McNeish, Daniel, and Denis Dumas. "A seasonal dynamic measurement model for summer learning loss." Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A: Statistics in Society 184.2 (2021): 616-642.

3. Strong, John Z., and Blythe E. Anderson. "Effects of a Summer Tutoring Program on Reading Achievement in Grades K-5." Reading & Writing Quarterly (2023): 1-17.