Children on vacation: do they really lose everything they have learned? Find out the truth!

IN SHORT Holidays can have an impact on children’s learning. Studies show that children can lose up to 30% of their academic achievements during the summer. THE recreational activities and educational can help minimize this loss. Parents play a crucial role in maintaining interest in learning. Simple strategies to support children during the holidays. It is essential to find a balance between rest And education.

Summer vacation often raises concerns among parents, who fear that their children will lose everything they have learned during the school year. However, this idea of ​​“loss of acquired knowledge” deserves to be examined more closely. Between memories of real experiences and myths anchored in our culture, reality is more nuanced. In this article, we invite you to discover the truth about learning during the holidays: a key moment for your child’s development, rich in discoveries and new skills, far from the idea of ​​a dormant brain.

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Summer vacations are often synonymous with relaxation and fun. However, many parents wonder if this joyous time does not have a downside: are their children forgetting everything they learned during the school year? To get a clearer picture, let’s dive into this topic with research and practical advice.

Understanding the phenomenon of loss of academic skills in summer #

For more than a century, researchers have been examining the question ofsummer forgetfulness. At the beginning of the 20th century, William White, a mathematics teacher, showed that students forget a significant part of their learning during the summer. He observed that after the summer vacation, more students made mistakes on tests similar to those at the end of the school year.
Since then, numerous studies have confirmed that on average, students lose the equivalent of one month of academic achievement in mathematics and spelling. This loss is more marked among children with disabilities, those in poverty, and those whose mother tongue is not that of the country.

The students most affected #

Research indicates that those who perform well before final exams are often those most affected by summer loss. This raises the question of whether their learning was truly consolidated or simply the result of specific test preparation.

The length of the school year: A solution? #

Some suggestextend the school year to limit the loss of acquired knowledge. Indeed, in countries like China, where the school year is 245 days, students perform better in math, science, and reading compared to the United States, where the year is 180 days.
However, the length of the school year is not the only variable. For example, Irish students, who attend school 167 days a year, outperform American students by an average of 10 points in the same subjects. This demonstrates that a shorter year does not necessarily lead to poorer results.

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Activities to remedy summer forgetfulness #

So what strategies can parents adopt to help their children maintain their skills without turning vacation into an extension of school?

• Lead by example: Children often follow the example of adults. Take advantage of summer to reduce screen time and increase literary activities, games or walking.
• Visit a library: The local library is a valuable resource. Give your children the freedom to choose their books and participate in activities like story times.
• Organize games while traveling: Bus or train journeys can be an opportunity to play number and letter games, thus stimulating reading and calculation.
• Encourage summer journaling: Invite your children to write and draw about their summer adventures. This might include a list of activities they want to do before school starts.
• Visit sites of general interest: Visits to museums or historical sites can be educational and fun, especially if you document the experience together.
• Organize educational picnics: Let children choose menus and participate in meal preparation, integrating reading, writing and math skills in a fun way.

In summary : #

The holidays are not a time when children have to forget everything. With thoughtful, engaging activities, parents can turn this time into a lifelong learning opportunity. Adopting these simple practices can make a big difference in your children’s transition to the new school year.