Unlock learning fun this summer!
Beat the summer slide with Breakout EDU
School's out! While those summer days of freedom are well-deserved, there's a sneaky villain lurking in the shadows – summer learning loss. Studies show that students can lose a significant amount of knowledge over the long break, making the return to school in the fall a little bit more difficult for everyone than it needs to be.
Oft-referenced research from NWEA (2023) has shown that test scores flatten or drop over summer months, with math typically more impacted than reading. While research outcomes have varied over time, a recent meta-analysis highlights the positive impact of maintaining learning throughout the summer months (2022).
This summer, outsmart learning loss with fun adventures from Breakout EDU, a one-stop shop for turning learning opportunities into epic adventures.
Understanding summer learning loss
Over the summer months, students often don’t have access to the regular practice and reinforcement of key academic skills they receive during the school year. Without exercising these skills, students can experience regression in their learning - especially in areas that require consistent practice to achieve automaticity, like reading fluency and math computation.
Summer learning loss is a very real phenomena that has been studied for many decades, often with conflicting results due to small sample sizes, non-representative samples, and/or difficulty sourcing year-over-year data to interpret. What we do know is that it does happen, with 70-78% of students experiencing a decline in math skills and two months of reading proficiency skills. This means that by fifth grade, students who do not receive any interventions during summer months can lag behind their peers by 2.5-3 years.
It’s not all bad! While summer learning loss is real, it's not insurmountable. By keeping students engaged with interactive activities that challenge their brains, parents and educators can bridge the gap to ensure a smooth transition back to the classroom when fall arrives. Here are a few ideas to help students stay fresh this summer:
Read every day: Encourage daily reading throughout the summer. Local libraries often have summer reading programs to keep kids engaged. Explore different genres together and find books that pique their interests.
Keep math fun and practical: Integrate math skills into everyday activities. For example, cooking together provides opportunities for measurement and fractions and a family game night can involve board games that require basic math operations.
Embrace educational apps and games: There are a variety of educational apps and online games, like Breakout EDU, that make learning fun and engaging.
Field trips and educational adventures: Plan day trips to museums, historical sites, or nature centers. These outings provide enriching experiences that spark curiosity and can connect to classroom learning. Stuck at home? No problem! Breakout EDU games are available wherever, and whenever, you are.
Summer learning programs: Many schools and communities offer summer programs that aim to help students maintain academic progress. These programs can provide structured learning activities, review key concepts, and prepare students for the upcoming school year.
Fun and engaging activities are keys to learning. When kids are allowed to learn through curiosity, their motivation is increased, their attention improves leading to longer retention, they think critically, and experience success and productive failure boosting their self-esteem and self-efficacy.
Introducing Breakout EDU
Breakout EDU is designed to turn learning into exciting experiences. We've got a treasure trove of ready-to-play games that cover all subjects, or you can create custom games. As a teacher or summer school facilitator, you can give kids the opportunity to crack codes, solve puzzles, and work together (or independently) to break out of the ordinary! They'll be having so much fun, that they won't even realize they're sharpening their critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork skills – all keys to academic success.
Digital games can be assigned to learners independently, in small groups, or as a whole class. And if a digital detox is in order over the summer, our physical kit games let students get hands-on to unlock the box and breakout! Only have a few moments together in the morning? Our Lock of the Day takes only 5-10 minutes to stimulate brains and set kids up for a great day of play. Throughout the summer, new Lock of the Puzzles will be made available for students to complete every weekday. They can even earn achievements for completely weekly streaks when they finish all the puzzles!
Breakout EDU is about more than keeping brains active outside of the school year; it's about fostering a love of learning beyond the classroom. Our games are a fantastic opportunity for hands-on, experiential learning that will stick with kids long after the summer heat fades.
Learning in disguise
Ready to get started? We've got some awesome Breakout EDU games ready to roll. Try some of these favorites handpicked by our team for summer fun:
Dodge the Dragon: When a brave young gamer stumbled through a portal to a mysterious land, they made a bit too much noise and awakened a few sleeping creatures. Yikes! Time to escape by dusting the cobwebs off those math skills!
Witty's Magical Mix-Up: Witty the Magician was excited to show off his grand magic act, but as he performed his first trick, it took an unexpected turn. This is a great team-building challenge requiring a variety of academic skills to help Witty.
Multiply the Music: Calling all music lovers! The Factor Band is ready to rock! Learners need to find the product of this grouping so the band can rock out!
Learn on your terms
With Breakout EDU, you can create custom games personalized to the learners you serve this summer - or challenge kids to create their own! Our unique Game Design Studio is intuitive and simple to use. We offer self-paced Learn and Play courses to guide students, and even game creators, through the process of game design.
Customizing games is a fun and easy way to add some flare that students will love. When games are customized or designed on Breakout EDU, it’s important to maintain alignment with state standards to continue driving learning towards expected outcomes and ward off the summer slide. Here are some starting tips to keep in mind:
Embrace the season: Design a game around a backyard camping trip, a beachside adventure, or a quest to save the summer festival from a mischievous prankster.
Review prior year concepts: For example, if students need to brush up on their multiplication skills, create locks requiring them to solve multiplication problems to unlock clues. For reading comprehension, they could decipher a mysterious message left by a playful dolphin, requiring them to analyze text and answer comprehension questions.
Variety is key: Create puzzles that cater to different learning preferences and skills. Include logic puzzles, ciphers, word searches, math problems, and even physical challenges that require students to move around and collaborate.
Scale the difficulty: Start with puzzles that are more simple at the beginning of a game and gradually increase the difficulty as the game progresses to keep students motivated.
With a little bit of planning and a dose of creativity, you can design a Breakout EDU challenge that is both fun and educational, ensuring your learners maintain key skills while having a blast.
Time for fun in the sun
Ditch the flashcards and embrace adventure this summer! The summer slide can be scary and feel overwhelming, but it is simple and fun to keep students on course with Breakout EDU. Turn lazy summer days into engaging learning experiences that keep kids sharp, foster a love of learning, and ensure a smooth transition back to the school year. Let's beat the summer learning slide together and make this summer break one for the memory books! For a free trial of Breakout EDU, click here.