My three children love slides. They find something liberating about dropping quickly from a high altitude and whooshing to the bottom. My children have even discovered how sliding down on a piece of wax paper can actually make the whole experience faster.

The “Summer Slide” is also a metaphor that refers to the amount of reading, writing, and math knowledge that children lose over the summer because they are not actively practicing these skills. At the end of the school year, kids have attained their highest learning point and are standing at the top of the jungle gym. But without regular practice of these skills, they will be sliding back down to the bottom.

The idea of the “Summer Slide” was first coined in 1906 by the researcher W. White. In an article he published in American Education, he provided data showing that student’s test scores were lower after a summer break then before, and concluded that they experienced a “Summer Slide.”

More recent studies have quantified the exact amount lost, showing that on average, students lose about two months of their reading, writing and math skills over the summer. That means that the first two months of learning during the new school year is actually just catching kids back up to where they were, before they can advance any further!

Although summer is supposed to be a time for fun, the fun should not result in the loss of reading, writing, and math skills.

Stopping the “Summer Slide” is one of the main reasons why we created Brain Chase. Kids and teenagers that complete the six weeks of exercises will not only stop the summer slide, but may well climb higher and be more prepared for their next grade level.

Why would kids do this, you ask? Because we disguise the learning as a global treasure hunt for a buried globe worth $10,000. Clues to the treasure’s location are hidden in exclusive animated webisodes that are only viewable when the academic challenges are complete. The hunt for clues keeps the participants moving forward with the challenge, all without any nagging from you.

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The “Summer Slide” is real, but it is easy to prevent. It just takes a little practice every day. If you would like to learn more about Brain Chase and how we can help prevent the summer slide, please visit our website today.