Summer Learning Gap?

Most people have had this experience both as children and as parents; after a test season in June, there is a long six-week summer break, and by the time the bell rings for the first day of the new year, there is often already some catching up to do.

The summer learning gap is a well-established phenomenon, and most people will have experienced that awkward moment when they go back to school and find that their memories of what they learned at the end of last year are perhaps somewhat vague.

Whilst a summer learning loss is common, it is not at all inevitable, and with the help of an enjoyable, structured holiday tuition plan, your child can enjoy their holidays whilst still being ready for the new school year, helping them to successfully transition into their next year group.

Studies have shown that the learning gap can affect children in all years; the biggest setbacks have been seen in the years between Key Stages. These are found between Year 2 and Year 3, between Year 6 and Year 7 and between Year 9 and Year 10.

The reason for this is that these are years with major transitions and often an expectation to get started quickly. Not being able to write as effectively or struggling with sums can be surprisingly dispiriting and potentially require catch-up lessons.

Thankfully, holiday tutoring is designed to be fun, it does not take much time out of your child’s week and does not feel like school.

Summer holidays exist for a reason, and although we recommend learning sessions over the summer, there should also be time to rest and play. Children learn a lot from playing outside, learning hobbies and having a chance to be children.

Having a short one-to-one session a week keeps a child engaged with their learning, confident that all of their successes of the past year have not regressed and they can feel less anxious about starting the new term.