Summer Learning Loss & our MPT Holiday Packs

The Summer Learning Loss/Summer Slide/Summer Set Back is a common phenomenon whereby students forget some of what was learnt in their previous school year over the summer break. Call it what you like, statistics show that many children end up starting the new school year worse off than they were when the holidays began. If your children are anything like my nieces, they are bubbling over with excitement about the long lazy days ahead. But I know that they will quickly tire of the lack of routine and regular stimulation that school provides. Many children reach for technology to fill this void and depending on the app or program being used, many children are likely to succumb to the dreaded “summer learning loss” by the end of January.

At Mornington Peninsula Tutoring, we have designed something that can be part of the solution for this potential setback. Bryony and Lauren have been working hard to create holiday learning packs for primary aged students. The three packs we are working on so far have all been designed by the two of us (both experienced Primary School teachers) to provide your children with learning opportunities during the long summer break. Activities range from math related problem-solving tasks to literacy-based puzzles and word games. They have been designed to provide children with a fun and educational way to spend some time putting their brains to work in the place of tutoring or traditional homework. Our packs are aimed at students in Prep to Year 4 (there's a Level 1, 2 and 3 book). Some activities may require the assistance of an older sibling or parent, but each activity is clearly described and easy for an adult to follow.

Our aim was to have these packs out and ready for this Summer, however between Christmas, holidays and our two young boys unfortunately we have only got the one up and ready at the moment.
​Our first completed pack – A day at the Beach (Level 1) is aimed at students in Prep and Year 1.

Our other two books will be finalised in Term 1, ready for the Easter holidays in April. If they prove popular, there will be more to follow throughout the year (with the possibility of printed books and resources available to purchase too). All of these updates will be on our Facebook Page, so make sure you follow us and keep an eye on it over the next few months.



Meanwhile, if you’re around on the peninsula  during the holidays, there are several local options to keep your child’s mind sharp over the break. Peninsula libraries are currently offering some amazing holiday programs for kids, which can be found via the link:
https://ourlibrary.mornpen.vic.gov.au/Kids-Youth/School-Holiday-Program-Summer.
Or join the library’s “Summer Reading club” to encourage your child to keep up with their reading over the break with the potential to win a prize at the end! As well as keeping mentally active, it’s important to ensure your children have plenty of opportunity to burn off some energy and run around. Check out the Peninsula kids website as well for local events and activities http://peninsulakids.com.au/local-activities/ for ideas on keeping your child physically active. 

Articles on summer learning loss:
https://www.brookings.edu/research/summer-learning-loss-what-is-it-and-what-can-we-do-about-it/
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https://www.theguardian.com/society/commentisfree/2018/aug/26/long-school-summer-holidays-inequality-poorer-families

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