Math Declines Over Summer, Reading Skills Hold Steady
A new study conducted in the United States found that the most significant learning loss among K-8 students during summer break occurs in mathematics. According to an assessment based on data from the 2023 spring and fall testing cycles by the assessment and research organization NWEA, the “summer slide” students experience between school years was significant in math, while the loss in reading skills was much more limited.
According to the study, the decline in math scores corresponds to approximately 10 to 30 percent of what students learn in a typical school year. In contrast, average reading scores in the spring and fall of 2023 remained almost at the same level. NWEA stated that one reason for this difference may be that students continue reading outside of school during the summer months but practice math less frequently.
Experts note that math learning can be forgotten more easily during the summer because it requires procedural skills, multi-step tasks, and regular review of specific knowledge. The study also emphasized that it is difficult to measure which out-of-school activities students participate in during the summer and how those activities affect learning. NWEA recommended that schools offer high-quality summer learning programs and provide families with resources to support age-appropriate reading and math skill development.