Learning in the school holidays
5 min read · updated 2026-09-01
Long breaks undo more school progress than most parents realise, and the first weeks back are spent re-teaching. The fix is not holiday school: it is 20-30 minutes a day, most days, aimed at the right subjects.
What the slide actually is
Skills decay when unused, and the losses are largest in maths (procedural fluency fades fast) and writing (stamina and structure). Reading survives better if there are books around, which is why reading is the one non-negotiable in every break.
A holiday structure that respects the break
- ✓ 20-30 minutes of focused work in the morning, leaving the day free
- ✓ Maths: keep fluency alive with mixed practice, not new content
- ✓ Reading: daily, freely chosen books
- ✓ One project: something with an output (a story, a model, a coding project)
Where tutoring fits holidays
Holiday sessions work best as bridge support: keeping the weakest subject alive and pre-teaching the next term's first topics, so September starts confident. Many families reduce frequency in breaks rather than stopping entirely, precisely because the restart is so expensive.
FAQs
Do children really lose skills over summer?＋
Yes, most children lose some maths fluency and writing stamina over long breaks, while reading holds up better when books are available. A small daily routine prevents most of it.
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