How to incorporate academic activities into your kid's summer routine

ST. LOUIS PARK. Minn. — Experts say staying sharp on reading and math skills can help your student avoid the "summer slide."

If that's the first time you've heard that phrase, you're not alone. According to We Are Teachers, only 48% of parents, with children ages 6-17, have heard of summer slide. It's a term to represent the loss of learning during the summer months — and it's not uncommon.

"We see it generally, right? All kids experience a level of learning loss," Groves Learning Organization Director of Diagnostics Dr. Alaa Houri said. 

Students in grades 3-5 lose about 20% of their reading and math skills during the summer months. It's why educators say it's important to incorporate academic activities into your students' weekly routines.

"It doesn't have to be an eight-hour day just like in the school year, right," Houri said. "But just a little bit at the time is going to be really, really helpful for your student in the fall."

Houri suggests simple things like practicing counting skills before dinner or reading street signs while driving to the next activity. There are also formal options, too.  

"Some kids experience a more significant level of learning loss. Those are kids who either, what we know from research is that they're from lower socioeconomic status or they're kids who are struggling academically, right," Houri said.

Groves Learning Organization offers different summer learning resources online, for more information, click here.