Enriching Education: 7 Tips for Parents to Help Kids Overcome the COVID Learning Slump Inbox

 The number of lost classroom hours from the COVID shutdowns and shifts to remote or hybrid learning vary by school district, but no one can deny the impact the loss of prime teaching time will have on this new generation of learners. 

Add the few months without school to the summer slump many students are already experiencing, and the gaps in learning start to seem insurmountable; however, the Covid learning slump is actually preventable if the right measures are taken over the summer. 

Patrick Quinn, Parenting Expert at Brainly, the world’s online learning platform, is well aware of the risks over a year without in-classroom instruction can have on students and has some sage tips for parents.

Consider this: About 84% of U.S. parents are worried that COVID-19 related changes to their child’s education schedule and routine will negatively impact their learning, and 61% are worried their child’s college and career prospects will be negatively impacted, according to a recent Brainly survey of 1,600 moms and dads. 

Quinn, a father himself, says his first tip for parents is to follow their own instincts, saying, “You know what your student is able to do.”

And while students who have been doing virtual learning for the past year may need a small break from their computers this summer, once they are ready, jump into doing as much academic instruction with them this summer as possible, recommends Quinn, citing the many educational resources now available online for parents.

Quinn also recommends parents stay in close contact with their child’s teacher and make sure they know the key concepts their child should be able to do in their grade.

“Now more than ever, many parents like me are realizing it’s imperative for us to make sure our kids don’t fall behind or slip between the cracks of the education system. We’re all still trying to understand the full effect of the pandemic on students’ long term educational outcomes, but one thing is clear: as we return to the ‘new normal,’ we’re going to have to get creative to make up for lost time and do everything possible to empower students to learn so we don’t end up with a lost generation on our hands,” says Quinn. 

So how can parents prevent their children from further backsliding over the summer? Here are Quinn’s 7 tips to help prevent COVID-19 learning loss this summer.

1. Form a neighborhood or friends book club. This can be done in a couple of different ways, depending on the age of your kid and pandemic restrictions. Kids of similar ages can choose one book each week for everyone to read. Then they can meet to talk about the book they read. They can discuss the plot and characters, what they liked about it, didn’t like, and their takeaways from it. Another type of book club, especially for younger kids, will require more parent involvement. Create a logging system so each child can keep a record of the books they’ve read. At the end of the summer, hold a pizza party for all the participants. Create homemade certificates and give out inexpensive prizes to all the participants. Then honor the winner with the most books read with a special award.
2. Incorporate learning into your travel. Before you go on your family vacation, do some research in advance. Look for science centers, history museums, and historical sites to build into your trip. Have your kids join you in mapping out the trip. This will help keep geography fresh in their minds while they are also learning map skills.
3. Hands-on project-based learning activities. With all the screen time kids are getting from online learning (not to mention their non-educational screen time), sometimes the best thing you can do to get kids flexing their brain muscles is to have them physically design and create something with their own two hands like a 3D puzzle, pop-up storybook, or time capsule, to name a few examples. Another idea is to turn a game into an art activity by having your kids create their own board game to play.
4. Summer journaling. Give your kid a journal. It can be fancy or just a spiral notebook. If your child hasn’t kept a journal before, suggest they spend 20 minutes writing in it every night about their day’s adventures and activities. Let your kid know it is their private journal and promise not to read it unless they choose to share it with you. This might encourage your child to invest more time and thought into their journaling.
5. Enroll them in an e-learning course and/or encourage daily educational screen time. Think of it as a virtual summer camp. But before you blindly sign up for some online programs, look for some specialized programs designed to keep children learning with engaging activities and personalized instruction. There are also many free online resources and services, like Brainly, where children can ask questions, learn new things, and keep stimulated to prevent the COVID slump. Your kids may not love the idea at first, but they’ll thank you for pushing them to take advantage of the slower months to boost problem areas when the fall rolls around and it’s back-to-school time. 
6. Take up a new educational hobby. Now is the perfect opportunity for students to take up a new hobby. Learning a musical instrument, taking a coding class, or joining an online trivia league can help students of any age stay sharp throughout the summer and beyond.  
7. Move the learning outdoors. It may seem basic, but a little sunshine and fresh air are excellent for everyone’s mental health and can help bored students reinvigorate their learning by helping them escape the monotony of their home learning space. Physical activity can also help memory recall and increase mental dexterity. Try passing around a soccer ball in the backyard while learning the state capitals, or playing hopscotch while reciting new vocab terms.  

Regardless of what you choose, staying mentally active throughout summer can give your child a much-needed leg up come this fall.