How Parents Can Help Their Kids Catch Up Academically This Summer

If I was asked to write this article at the same time last year, it would be much different. Last summer, I would have empathized with students after what had been a difficult year of navigating the pandemic and adjusting to virtual and hybrid learning. I would have cautioned parents to make sure their kids didn’t lose the skills they’ve learned, but at the same time, let them relax and have fun with their peers. After everything that the 2020-21 school year threw at them, they deserved a break.

This summer is different. 

Now we have the data. We know how far behind so many kids are. Analysis from McKinsey & Company projects that on average, students will still be five months behind in mathematics and four months behind in reading by the end of the school year. It’s incumbent upon everybody involved — schools, teachers, parents, communities and even the students themselves — to find ways to get this generation of learners back on track.

Here are a few things parents can do for their kids this summer to help bridge this gap.

Tighten Up — But Strike a Balance

As I mentioned, this summer is different than last year. Kids have been able to socialize more this year, and they’ll be able to even more this summer. Because they’re not as starved for peer attention as they were last summer, the academic need has surpassed the social-economic need as the top priority. 

That’s why, for parents, it’s time to tighten up a little bit on academics. This summer, parents should consider adding some academic activities or camps to their kids' schedule. It does not have to be the whole summer, but students cannot bridge the education gap left in the wake of the pandemic by having another summer completely free of academics.

I have two elementary school-level kids myself, and they currently go to Sylvan Learning for an hour of tutoring every Saturday. I would like to have them do more during the week, and perhaps I will over the summer. I’m just trying to be mindful of that balance, which I’ll admit can be difficult.

But if we are intentional and mindful of our kids’ summer schedules, we can make the right decisions and find the balance that works for them, and for us.

Check What Your Local Schools Are Offering

There are a variety of programs and camps across the country that schools offer during the summertime — programs that provide instruction and education, but in a more fun, relaxed environment. 

For instance, a lot of schools offer programs like STEM camps that just last a few weeks, which is a great way to make sure your kids’ brains are still engaged in some sort of curriculum — but not so much that it's going to take over their whole summer. 

Every school and every district is different. Talk to your schools. See what's going to be offered and plan some academic activities for your young learners during the summer. It will go a long way in making sure your child is prepared to further close the education gap when they return to the classroom in the fall.

Check Your Local Sylvan Learning Center to See What Programs They Offer

Sylvan Learning, the company for which I serve as vice president of education, is the leading provider of personalized education for K–12 students, specializing in both in-school and after-school supplemental learning. Many schools will lean on educational providers like Sylvan this summer and beyond as they work to help get young learners back up to speed.

Sylvan itself offers summer tutoring, academic camps in a variety of subjects and STEM camps in disciplines like robotics or coding and game design. We also offer camps in study skills as well as college readiness camps for more advanced students. Many of these programs and camps will be offered at Sylvan’s more than 710 points of presence nationwide and in the more than 5,000 schools with which we’ve partnered across the country. 

Parents can design a summer learning program that works best for their young learners by checking with their local schools and Sylvan centers to see what’s available in their area.

It’s been a tough couple of years for just about everybody. But few have been hit harder — and will suffer the negative impacts of this pandemic longer — than our young learners who have fallen behind in the most crucial years of their development. This summer, parents can help bridge that gap, and they can do it without sacrificing their kids’ summers. It’s crucial that we keep academics at the forefront while doing whatever we can to help this generation of learners rebound and come back stronger, smarter and more prepared for their futures than they were even before the pandemic.

This summer presents the perfect opportunity to do just that.