Kids Can Lose Up to 27% of What They Learned During Summer Break, Study Finds

Students slip back in their studies during the summer months. Tests show they forget up to one-fifth of reading skills and more than a quarter of math knowledge. The Northwest Evaluation Association tracked these drops.

The youngest students face the biggest risk. Those from families with less money fall furthest behind their classmates when school starts again.

Smart parents mix learning into daily tasks. Counting money and making budgets builds math skills. Kids can snap photos and write stories about their summer fun.

"Have them read the recipe with you to make sure that you're following it correctly, incorporate math activities with the fractions in the recipe," said Melissa Balknight, deputy superintendent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, to WCNC.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools offer i-Ready Family Center through their website. This tool lets teachers watch student progress while kids are away. Balknight points out, "They can certainly work 30 minutes twice a week at home on i-Ready, and that would continue to engage them and move them forward."

Free books wait at local libraries. Just picking up a book keeps reading skills sharp all summer long.

Staff members push parents to find what clicks with their children. "Some type of activity so they don't come back to school in August having to remember, 'How do I do this?' or 'Let me get started,'" Balknight noted.

Simple tasks make big differences. Kids might read about sports stars they like or help measure while cooking dinner. These small steps stop summer brain drain.