Save the Children urges Kentucky families to build low-pressure learning time during summer break

LEXINGTON, Ky. When classes let out for summer, many families shift routines toward travel, sports and rest. But education experts say the time away from school can contribute to what is commonly called the “summer slide,” a decline in academic progress students made during the school year. In a report aired July 3, a Save the Children representative urged parents and caregivers to treat learning as a regular, low-pressure part of the day before students return to classrooms in the fall.

Chelsea Seals, with Save the Children, said the slide can happen because children may go for two or three months without exposure to learning opportunities. She emphasized that parents do not need expensive programs or long sessions of structured schoolwork to keep skills fresh. The focus, Seals said, is on incorporating learning activities into the day-to-day routine so children continue to practice literacy, math and critical-thinking skills.

Seals pointed to everyday tasks as opportunities to support learning. She described activities such as reading together, cooking a meal, grocery shopping, and sorting laundry as ways for children to engage with real-world prompts that involve language use, basic math and problem solving. She also recommended setting aside time for reading, including taking about 20 minutes a day to build consistent reading habits while also creating family time.

The Save the Children representative suggested that families let children choose their own books, including returning to favorites they want to reread. She said rereading familiar stories is acceptable, and she recommended combining fiction and non-fiction so children are exposed to a wider range of information and ideas. In Seals’ framing, the learning is strengthened when families connect the content back to real-life experiences that children can observe and discuss.

To provide an additional reference point, KBTX News 3 reported June 17 that some studies have found students can lose up to 20% of academic learning over the summer. That report also said certain groups may be at greater risk, including children who have limited reading materials at home or whose summer time is dominated by passive activities. While the KBTX report focused on Texas, its mention of the summer-learning-loss concept reflects a broader nationwide discussion about how children’s routines can affect reading and related skills during school breaks.

Other education and health-focused guidance organizations similarly describe summer learning loss as a gap that can widen when children do not continue engaging with books and learning activities. Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials, in a separate explainer dated Dec. 10, 2025, recommended keeping summer learning low-pressure and highlighted reading, play and structured routines that fit family life. Child Mind Institute, in an article published about a month before the LEX18 report, similarly focused on approaches to maintaining reading and skill practice during summer.

For Kentucky families weighing summer calendars and back-to-school preparation, the near-term takeaway is not a new requirement or program, but a set of practical routines: consistent reading time, child-led book choice, and learning that is embedded in ordinary activities. As the fall school term approaches, educators and advocates say these small steps are meant to help children start the year with more continuity rather than losing ground during the break.

In the coming weeks, families may seek local libraries, school district resources and community programming as part of their back-to-school planning, but Seals’ message to parents centered on beginning at home. The emphasis is on making learning a daily habit that supports family connection and keeps core skills active until the school year resumes.