Learning loss during the summer holidays can hinder children's progress and possibly set them back upon returning to school in September. Research indicates that, on average, children lose about a month’s worth of knowledge over the summer holidays. Keeping up with education can greatly benefit them when the new academic year begins. 

Here are my top 5 tips to prevent summer learning loss. 

 1. Encourage daily reading. Teachers emphasize this because reading is crucial for school success. If your child can read independently or aloud to you for about 20 minutes daily, that's excellent. Research indicates that if a child reads for 20 minutes every day starting in reception, they are likely to score better than 90% of their peers in standardised tests. Even if your child is a reluctant reader, any amount of reading can significantly enhance their education. Reading aloud to your child is highly beneficial, and listening to an experienced reader is an important part of becoming a proficient reader.

Other activities include listening to audiobooks on long journeys, or watching a film together, and later discussing the plot, characters, predictions, etc., which can improve reading comprehension skills. 

 2. Inspire writing. It doesn't have to be elaborate stories or long paragraphs. Simple writings can help maintain their handwriting and writing skills. Tailor it to your child’s interests and encourage neat writing. It could be as simple as writing a shopping list, holiday checklist, or letter. 

3.  Address their weaknesses. If a teacher has identified any weak areas in your child's learning, help them improve those. Even a short daily or weekly session can make a big difference. There are plenty of online resources and study books available to assist you. 

4. Practice times tables frequently. All junior children should be practicing their times tables daily or at least weekly. Unless your child can rapidly recall all their times tables, this exercise will not be in vain as times tables are needed to access other areas of maths.

5. Utilize online games and apps. There are numerous free online games and apps available to assist your child's learning. Most children enjoy learning online or through apps. Whether it's learning to tell the time, times tables, or spelling, online games and apps can help by reinforcing and remembering the skills they have learnt at school in an enjoyable and informal way.