Summer Learning Loss: 10 Tips to Prevent
reviewed by Jo-ann Caballes
Updated on June 26, 2025
After the holidays, children often return with lower knowledge levels compared to what they had before summer break. The phenomenon is frequently referred to as summer learning loss. Don’t want to start a new school year by relearning old materials? Then, better take action now. Drawing on 15 years of teaching experience, I’ve selected and compiled this list of 10 ways to help your child stay on track — all with proven effectiveness.
Key points
- The statistics on summer learning loss show that kids are expected to forget 20-30% of the previously learnt materials.
- Studying at tutoring platforms like Brighterly helps to maintain kids’ current progress and further develop their knowledge.
- Joining summer camps, traveling, and volunteering are all ways that effectively incorporate a sociable element and also combat the summer loss of learning.
- Using worksheets, technologies, and exploring various hobbies — these methods integrate learning into diverse life areas, even during summer holidays.
- Self-disciplined learners can opt for creative tasks, goal-setting practices, and reading activities, all of which require much determination.
What percent of learning is lost over the summer?
As the study shows, summer learning loss statistics remain relatively stable at around 20-30%. Thus, kids will likely forget 1 month’s worth of materials from what they studied last year. However, the number can increase even further if the child has a background of poor academic performance.
What causes summer learning loss?
Learning loss over summer occurs due to a lack of regular engagement with academic materials. Summer is when children don’t apply their skills through lessons, homework, and tests, so they are more likely to forget concepts they have learnt.
Which group is most vulnerable to summer learning loss?
The research indicates that children from low-income families are more likely to forget what they’ve learned over the past year. It occurs due to their limited research on materials, such as books, summer camps, and educational experiences. It’s your clear answer to which group is most vulnerable to summer learning loss.
How to prevent summer learning loss
- Practicing with tutors
- Utilizing worksheets & tests
- Joining summer camps
- Combining learning with creativity
- Conducting educational trips
- Setting clear goals
- Using technologies to reinforce skills
- Discovering hobbies
- Volunteering
- Reading a lot
Prevent summer learning loss with tutors
Best for: any learner who wants to stay on track after their holidays
So, is summer learning loss a real thing? Unfortunately, it is. The most effective solution for preventing it is hiring an online or offline tutor. First and foremost, they are professionals, highly skilled in their fields. Plus, they know what summer learning loss is and how to combat it effectively. Third, they already have proven experience in doing so.
Hiring a professional tutor means having someone who is inherently interested in your child’s progress. That’s why they will compile highly personalized and focused study programs. If needed, they may also incorporate games, quests, and challenges to make learning more fun. That’s the answer to all those who fear turning their kids’ holidays into a constant academic marathon.
Preventing summer learning loss with Brighterly: Features
Brighterly is one of those educational e-services that can help prevent summer learning loss while building a process in a game-like way. Currently, this venue offers customized one-on-one lessons in math and reading.
The reason I decided to outline this exact service is that I’m confident in its highest quality. And other parents also are! With a 4.6 average score on Trustpilot, this reading and math tutoring platform has already established its reputation.
So, how can they help in preventing summer learning loss in each of the two subjects? It’s time to explain.
Why enroll in a summer math course at Brighterly?
Brighterly math tutoring has been a lucrative option for quite some years already. They claim that there are approximately 200,000 active parents currently using their platform, with over 2,000 students registering each week. There are a few substantial benefits why all those folks could choose the Brighterly math program:
- Online math tutoring in a one-on-one setting ensures that a teacher and a student work closely. This way, both parties build better trust and friendly relationships. Thus, kids are more eager to share their thoughts and concerns on summer learning loss prevention or any other fears related to the subject.
- All math lessons at Brighterly have a customized flow. Tutors take the time to analyze Individual needs and develop a solution that matches them.
- Any math class conducted at Brighterly is grounded in STEM principles and follows Common Core programs. Thus, kids receive enough context to apply their theoretical knowledge in the real world. Additionally, all topics they cover are strictly aligned with their school programs — a measure taken for better coherence and effectiveness.
For an even more engaging experience, consider Brighterly’s 2025 summer math camp — a fun-filled blend of math, games, and teamwork designed to spark curiosity and keep young minds sharp all summer long.
Choosing Brighterly for a summer reading course
A reading program at Brighterly will offer similar benefits to those in math, but with a few subject-specific adjustments.
- Brighterly helps to build a strong basis in reading, writing, and language arts. Their program follows kids’ Common Core curricula, so children will review and develop the exact topics they’ve studied.
- Gamified exercises are the core component that helps preventing summer learning loss. Young learners in elementary and middle school often struggle to concentrate on a single subject. But things go differently if they participate in games while studying. Then, learning seems less academic but yet engaging, bringing overall better results.
- Finally, I’d like to mention Brighterly reading and math tutors. Those guys are well-versed in what they teach. Additionally, they excel in child psychology, understanding how to address specific learning difficulties.
Brighterly pricing
On average, individual online classes in the US cost approximately $50. However, it’s not about Brighterly — the platform known for its affordable price. The charges for both math and reading start at $17.4/session and never exceed $21.
Brighterly reviews
From all the theory we’ve just studied, Brighterly seems to be the top learning platform for those who want to target the summer loss of learning. However, there’s no better way to understand its true quality than by examining actual user reviews. Sooo…
“I’m happy my child is busy during her summer vacation with her maths tutoring with Brighterly. It is helping her focus and getting her ready for her 7th grade, and I believe she won’t be lost once school starts.” — Trustpilot review
“I have tried a different math tutorial program for my daughter every year for the past few years, and this is far and away the best one.” — Trustpilot review
Prevent summer learning loss with worksheets & tests
Best for: those who like quick-in, quick-out tasks
By regularly completing worksheets — just 15–30 minutes a day — children reinforce what they already know and stay mentally engaged. As a result, you effectively prevent skill regression.
The same concerns apply to any test. The power of this task is undeniable if you want to conduct a quick knowledge check and assess your child’s current performance. If you spot any incorrect answers, you can quickly address those areas. How to prevent summer learning loss? Prompt diagnostics is the clue!
Preventing summer learning loss with Brighterly worksheets
Still remember Brighterly? This service also offers a wealth of free resources. Yes, you can use them without commitments, even if you don’t own a subscription:
- The theoretical section presents a lot of materials and will be particularly suitable for summer revisions.
- Knowledge-checking tests will assess how well your child remembers specific materials.
- Math worksheets contain a plethora of varied exercises that can be used online or in print for extra practice. Here’s just one example:
Note: You can begin the evaluation immediately! Here are the free diagnostic math tests to spot their weak areas and take immediate action.
Preventing summer learning loss with summer camps
Best for: those looking for a social element
As shown by this summer learning loss research, camps effectively help students maintain their past knowledge and also make academic progress. In some regard, they are even better than traditional classrooms, as they blend learning with fun activities. So, they keep kids mentally active without the pressure of scores.
Additionally, summer camps introduce a strong social element. Promoting teamwork, communication, and problem-solving — you can grab all these benefits. Your child can even find their new best friend while growing both academically and emotionally.
Preventing summer learning loss while combining learning with creativity
Best for: creative minds
To combat the child’s summer learning loss, encourage them to stay creative.
What to try?
- Storytelling is that craft that helps kids fall in love with writing and reading. It enhances vocabulary memorization while also fostering emotional growth and creative thinking.
- Arts and crafts — but all of the benefits discussed above, these activities also develop fine motor skills. They help children express themselves and are also effective in relieving stress.
- Science experiments can help refresh past knowledge and also build on it. They are great if you want to fuel your child’s curiosity towards diverse sciences.
- Educational games are always conducted in groups. Thus, they are ideal variants for quality family or friend time.
Just like camps, creative exercises help kids perceive learning as a fun game, with minimal or no rejection.
However, creativity impacts not only academics — it also enhances confidence, curiosity, and independence. While allowing for the development of learning intuition, it brings value to the usual theory.
Preventing summer learning loss with educational trips
Best for: restless kids tired of traditional classrooms
Visit museums, science centers, historical landmarks, or nature parks — even though sometimes obviously, all these places help children grasp new ideas and perspectives. Additionally, this approach is practical for improving memory retention. Children build connections with concepts, and therefore memorize them better; that’s how it works.
Additionally, this method allows for combating the counter summer learning loss while providing quality family time.
Let’s return to those secluded COVID times for a while. It was a period of limited trips and interactions, and also the time when school education struggled significantly. That’s when a new condition, known as pandemic learning loss, emerged. Limited social contact, no new impressions, and a lack of real-world interactions — all these factors combined to cause children to forget their past academic gains.
Obviously, the emotional and social aspects are of great importance. So, plan that trip today and bring a fresh perspective to all of your family members!
Preventing summer learning loss by setting clear goals
Best for: those who struggle with focusing
How to keep learning over the summer? Set clear goals for your child and follow them. Let’s say they are experiencing a summer reading loss. Then, you should agree on an exact number of books to read during the season. You can break the task even further and turn it into a fun competition. For example, why not establish prizes for each book or chapter read? That will keep your child motivated to move on.
If your kid doesn’t like reading, try to make this habit more attractive and even inevitable to follow. Create an encouraging environment to make reading a cool and consistent habit. Also, think of the perfect moment in your summer schedule to open a book together.
That’s the key recommendation on this point from Neeru Khosla, the creator of the educational platform CK-12:
“Make reading enjoyable and accessible.”
Preventing summer learning loss with varied tech
Best for: techies
What is summer learning loss? Tech-loving kids will forget it altogether if you ask them to practice with interactive apps, online platforms, coding games, or virtual field trips. The best thing about all the abovementioned tools is that they easily adjust to the kid’s current level and offer personalized practice.
Why not implement all those tech tools from an early age? After all, it’s a new normal today. Plus, all these resources can foster digital literacy, creativity, and independent learning habits. Additionally, they allow you to learn anytime, anywhere, whether on vacation or in a car.
Preventing summer learning loss with hobbies
Best for: those seeking flexible home routines
A surprising new evidence on summer learning loss reveals that writing is one of the subjects suffering the most during the holiday period. The authors also highlight that seeking creative and appealing activities, such as journaling, storytelling, or blogging, is most effective in overcoming the struggle.
The same approach applies to any other subject. For example, did you know that cooking, specific board games, scavenger hunts, and LEGO challenges can all be used for learning math? Most importantly, keep searching for your ideal activity, and mix them up when possible.
Preventing summer learning loss with volunteering
Best for: socially active individuals & low-income students
Volunteering is always free, so anyone can participate. The child summer learning loss statistics I recently found indicate that voluntary activities can result in up to a 20% knowledge gain if practiced during two consecutive summers.
Additionally, these activities help develop a sense of community. Just like summer camp, they foster communication and cooperation, offering a chance to make new friends. But one thing is different between the two activity types — volunteering is completely free of charge. It can also bridge the achievement gap often seen between students from various socioeconomic backgrounds.
Preventing summer learning loss by reading a lot
Best for: self-motivated readers
There are many ways to help prevent summer learning loss, but reading is the most universal of them all. First, it improves vocabulary, comprehension, and critical thinking. And then these skills become paramount for steady progress in practically any knowledge field, from math to the arts.
Talking about personal growth, reading also boosts independence. Once kids develop a strong reading habit, they can explore specific topics they like, at their own pace and without external motivation.
Ways to reduce the summer learning loss: Conclusion
That burning question is, “What percent of learning is lost over the summer?” With these 10 tips, you won’t allow those 20% to slip away. For additional insights, you can also refer to my other article on preventing summer slide. And for now, here’s a quick rundown of what we’ve just covered:
- For academic gains with a bit of creativity, consider exploring summer camps and finding an ideal hobby.
- For a swift practice, remind your child to complete tests and worksheet tasks, or use various mobile apps.
- For a qualitative educational experience, consider planning a family trip or encourage them to join a volunteer program.
However, you can also forget the summer learning loss definition altogether if your child decides to study with a qualified tutor. For instance, at the Brighterly reading & math tutoring platform, professional guidance and tailored instructions help children enter their new studying year with better proficiency than ever.
Book a free demo and you’ll see all the benefits yourself!
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