Retention. Regression. Recoupment.

What????

These words may sound foreign or out of context in relation to children’s learning.  But they SHOULD be key considerations of summer programming for kids.

Veteran teachers have long known and understood how students lose learning over the summer months.  Parents may also understand that their child may stop progressing over the summer.  Often, neither party feels in control to change the situation.  However, teachers and parents both play a role in eliminating “summer slide” and insuring children come back to school ready to learn and with limited loss of skills.

Everyone can benefit from thinking about and taking action to intentionally address these three R’s impacted by summer break.  It is not to late to take action to help children learn this summer. We offer these suggestions to you so you will know how to answer parent questions about summer learning and/or give suggestions to parents as to ways they can combat the 3 R’s over the summer.

Here are the 3 R’s:

• Retention– Retention refers to the amount of previously learned knowledge that a student can remember over the summer. This is not about gaining new knowledge. Retention refers to students keeping knowledge that they have previously learned even though they are not in school to practice and apply that knowledge. One student may retain much of what she has learned during the previous school year while another student may find the knowledge “escapes” her over summer break.  Depending on the child, retention of learned skills and knowledge can be greatly impacted by long breaks such as summer vacation.
• Regression– Regression refers to the sliding backward of skills that some students experience over the summer or other extended breaks. Unlike retention, where educators consider if a child retained what they had previously learned, regression focuses on the loss of skills and knowledge.  Specifically, we look at what the child was able to do when school let out for break and which of those skills are lost over the summer. When regression occurs, students need to be retaught the skills that they forgot over the summer break. Much like retention, the existence of, and the degree to which regression occurs, is dependent on the child and the particular skill.
• Recoupment– How long will it take the child to re-learn the skills that they lost over the summer?  A week?  A month? Almost all students need to be re-taught skills after long breaks. Teachers build recoupment time into their lesson plans at the beginning of the school year.  However, some students need longer to recoup their learning loss than others. Recoupment refers to the amount of time needed for a student to relearn the skills that they lost over the summer.

So, what can we do to address these issues?  We can intentionally incorporate experiences that help children and adolescents practice skills learned during the previous school year.

Consider Tutoring

Parents might consider hiring a tutor for a few hours a week.  Many teachers work as tutors over the summer and parents may be able to hire a certified teacher that will help their child to maintain and even gain new skills. Many college education majors work as tutors over the summer. Your local school of education may be able to help find a qualified tutor.   Parents can also post ads on sites like Craig’s List.  Spending a little money to help a child go back to school without having lost skills may be a very worthwhile investment for families.

Consider Summer School and Camps

Summer classes and camps are often educational opportunities dressed up as fun.  Many classes and camps incorporate activities that address the 3 R’s.  Don’t forget about free summer programs at the local library.  Research has shown that reading just twenty minutes a day will help students keep reading skills learned during the school year.

Suggest that Families Plan Educational Activities at Home

Activities at home with parents, siblings, and babysitters can help students retain the information they learned while eliminating regression and recoupment time at the beginning of the next academic year.  Many  card and board  games such as Uno, Backgammon and Scrabble allow children to practice basic skills.  Create a list of your favorite educational games and send that list home in May.  Suggest to parents that family vacations and day trips can also be learning activities.  Zoos, museums,  aquariums, and even a trip to the grocery store can be educational. Suggest to your students that they volunteer to add up the groceries as they go through the store to practice math.   Suggest students utilize the unused pages of a school notebook by writing and illustrating a summer travel journal.

Get Ready For the New Year

Many schools and teachers send home notes at the end of the school year listing summer book suggestions. Consider sending a note home before school starts welcoming your new students and giving some suggestions for books, games or websites for students to explore before school starts.

Being intentional in addressing the 3 R’s over the summer does not have to be costly or time consuming. We would love to hear what you are suggesting parents do over this summer to address retention of knowledge and/or skills, in turn reducing regression and recoupment time in the fall.

Happy Summer Learning,