Summer Learning Loss: Can Online Tutoring Prevent This?

Summer is a time of fun and enjoyment for children. However, when they come back to school, teachers are often dismayed to find that their students have forgotten a lot of what they had learned during the time prior to summer vacations.

This is known as summer learning loss or summer slide and it happens to many students.

Which Students Experience Summer Learning Loss?

Previous research showed that summer learning loss is experienced by children that come from lower socioeconomic households. However, more recent studies have provided evidence that it is not just children from disadvantaged backgrounds that experience learning loss over the summer vacation – it is actually all students.

Although we do understand that children who come from impoverished backgrounds face more challenges in their lives that can lead to learning loss, efforts to mitigate this issue should not be focused on these children alone, but all students.

Strategies to Prevent Summer Learning Loss

According to a research study published in the American Educational Research Journal, the average student loses up to 34% of the learning they gained the prior year during the summer break. In addition, children who have experienced learning loss in one summer are more susceptible to experiencing further learning loss in the following summers.

However, there are some strategies to mitigate these losses:

Summer Reading Programs

Whether they are being offered through the child’s school, a public library, or some other way, a summer reading program can help cultivate good reading habits in children by tapping into their individual interests.

Although children who read perform better academically, a summer reading program alone is not effective for addressing every type of learning loss.

For example, a child who is weak in math or science will need more support than a simple summer reading program can offer.

Summer Camps

Aside from reading programs, there are also various STEM camps and summer courses, which have been shown to effectively help students retain knowledge. These camps are popular because they have a smaller class size, are hosted by qualified teachers, require regular attendance, and are personalized to a student’s interests and needs.

However, not every student is able to access these programs or summer camps.

Online Tutoring

One of the most effective ways to reduce summer slide is tutoring. Face-to-face tutoring is often expensive and requires students to commute from one place to another on a regular basis. In addition, it is also difficult getting qualified tutors.

However, tutoring has the potential to not just reduce summer slide but also decrease persistent academic performance gaps in students.

With online tutoring, concerns like commuting and high cost are eliminated. The best online tutoring services offer the services of qualified and experienced tutors who are matched to your student’s interests and abilities. In addition, online tutoring programs are also more affordable than face-to-face tutoring programs.

As such, we believe that online tutoring is the best option if you want to reduce summer learning loss in students.

My Education Online Can Help

At My Education Online, we can offer academic support to students during the summer break to reduce learning loss; however, our services can also be used throughout the year.

Find out more about My Education Online, what type of tutors we hire, and how we can help your child by visiting http://myeducationonline.co.uk/ today.