Everyday activities that promote early literacy skills can help combat learning loss over the summer break, writes Faculty of Education lecturer Kimberly Hillier in an article published in The Conversation.

“For researchers of children’s literacy, year-end reflections may prompt discussions of the summer slide — children’s loss of knowledge over summer break, particularly in literacy and numeracy — and what can be done to mitigate this learning loss,” Dr. Hillier writes.

Her article offers practical suggestions — tips that won’t feel like schoolwork. Hillier suggests giving children space and opportunities to practise independence, encouraging them to move their bodies, visiting a library, offering multi-sensory experiences, and reading letters and text found in their everyday environment.

Read the full article on supporting children’s early literacy skills here.