When school is in session, students gain not only academic knowledge, but life skills they can apply to be successful in school (EF skills like organization, prioritization, planning, etc.). Because some of these skills go relatively unused in the unstructured summer season, many students return to school in the fall with less knowledge than they ended the year with, and are often out of practice in terms of their executive functioning. We refer to this as the “summer slide”: over the course of the summer months, students lose some of the knowledge and skills they gained the previous school year.
Studies show that students can lose up to 40% of the progress they made during the school year, and that percentage is even higher for our neurodiverse students.
Due to the lack of structured academic stimulation throughout the summer, the summer slide can be difficult to prevent. Fortunately, there are plenty of approaches to combat this phenomenon. Some suggest involving a student in summer programs through their school, libraries, museums, or other learning institutions; others advocate for reading and practicing math to keep those skills sharp.1,2 It’s important to remember that each student is unique, and everyone will likely benefit from different approaches. Since the summer slide typically impacts two areas—knowledge and EF skills—there are two approaches to mitigate its effects.
Below are a few effective strategies to help students retain the knowledge gained throughout the academic year:
Encourage students to read. Reading is among the most widely-recommended ways to keep students’ academic minds firing over the summer. When encouraging a student to read over the summer, consistency is key, and reading with the intent to really comprehend and retain the content is what prevents the summer slide. Making time to talk to students about the books they read ensures that you have the opportunity to gauge their understanding. The Children’s Literacy Initiative is in favor of a “Goldilocks” approach to selecting a book for a student: the book needs to be easy enough to avoid frustration, but challenging enough to prevent boredom while reading.3
Engage in educational games. From the student perspective, summer is a time to engage in preferred activities as opposed to academically focused activities. While we want them to stay sharp and knowledgeable over the summer, we don’t want to enforce that concept with methods that will make them defensive or resentful. Work to find a middle-ground: vocabulary games, apps or websites where they “win” when they’re successful, etc. If you can find methods that provide dopamine in some capacity, like through the idea of “winning,” students are more likely to retain information, and do so in a more relaxed context.
Practice writing.2 Writing skills really come down to practice, which is part of the reason that student progress is so hindered by the three months of summer. During the school year, students’ writing is usually limited to academic topics. However, over the summer, encourage them to flex their creative muscles and free-write about anything they want. Not only will this inspire students to write of their own accord, but it will help them write more easily the following year. This also helps students brainstorm with less hesitation or stress associated with the task.
As many students struggle to remember content covered the previous year, there are just as many students who struggle to maintain some of the academic skills they gained the previous year. Below are examples of effective strategies to help a student retain those skills.
Find other opportunities outside of classroom learning to encourage experiential learning. Active opportunities, like encouraging volunteering, or spending time outside, can be turned into learning experiences.1,2 Applying the discipline and the sequencing processes (taught through experiences in the academic year) to non-academic activities that still have structure and require attention helps students reinforce their understanding of these idea through practice, allowing those concepts to keep their momentum and not get lost over the summer.
Engage in team-oriented exercises. Some schools encourage group work in their classes, which necessitates many important skills for students to learn like communication, emotional regulation, and compromise. As group work can require lots of coordination and organization, it can be particularly difficult for students with ADHD to have time away from this practice. Sports, camps, time with family, and any other group activities are really beneficial in helping students maintain this practice during the summer.
Make plans. Summer for students is often a long period of unstructured time, requiring little to no planning or time management on the student’s part. Parents and educators can model structured time and consistent routines, as well as help students to make similar plans over the summer in order to start managing their own time between their activities and free time.
Set goals.3 Goals are a very helpful way for students to stay on track, especially when dealing with such a time period like summer. The nature of goals can be very diverse (reading, learning, athletic, or social goals), but simply having something to work towards can help students practice making and keeping commitments, which will serve them well when they continue into the academic year.
It’s generally accepted that the best way to effectively prevent the summer slide is to create fun opportunities to keep students in practice. It can be challenging for students to be motivated to engage in learning opportunities during the summer, so it can be easily applied in the context of fun, “summer-type” experiences. Creating learning experiences (both academic experiences and skill-building exercises) can also help the student remember these more when they return to school, as it may be easier to make a connection from a fun experience to what they learned from it.
Recap:
The summer slide is one typical result common effect of the summer months on students; however, its effects can be mitigated by creating opportunities for effort and engagement for a student. Below are some of the strategies that were covered in this article.
Strategies to retain academic knowledge gained during the prior year:
Encourage reading over the summer.
Engage in educational games.
Practice writing.
Strategies to retain academic skills developed during the prior year:
Find opportunities to encourage experiential learning.
Many students today are involved in various activities in addition to school, which makes time management an important skill. Time management is the ability for a person to manage or divide their time among activities, and dedicate enough time to each activity to perform sufficiently.
As students get older, coursework frequently becomes more demanding and is accompanied by more extracurricular activities; therefore, it’s important for students to learn how to manage their time as early as possible.
Students who effectively manage their time may perform better in school and their extracurricular activities, and they typically have more free time. Students with ADHD often struggle with planning which can make time management especially challenging. For students with ADHD, time management can help not only with the planning of their activities, but also with their focus and organization of thoughts.
Why is time management important for students?
It allows them to manage coursework for multiple classes at once
It helps them balance schoolwork with nonacademic commitments.
It helps prepare them for further education, employment, and adulthood in general
It can reduce stress associated with disorganization and chaos1
What does it look like when a student struggles with time management?
Frequent late or incomplete assignments
Frequent or extremely late arrivals to school or other commitments
Spending substantially more/less time with some activities or classes than others
Difficulty remembering tasks and commitments2
“Time blindness,” the inability to properly estimate how long an activity assignment will take2
How can I, as a parent, help my student improve their time management skills?
Gradually introduce extracurricular activities and commitments to your student’s schedule
Create regular routines for homework, activities, and other commitments, and help them stick to those routines
Encourage them to plan out their day/routine
Set priorities and make sure those tasks are completed before leisure time
Create personal, or “false,” deadlines before actual deadlines to leave room for error OR emphasize the decrease in anxiety that usually comes with finishing assignments or projects early
Allow them to create a time budget and decide how many minutes/hours they want to spend on each activity or assignments, especially on a busy day
How can I, as an educator, help my students improve their time management skills?
Break up big projects into smaller parts, using those multiple deadlines to hold students accountable to completing the project methodically and not all the night before a “final” due date
Give students assignments as early as possible
Keep consistent classroom/homework schedules: discussion posts are always due on Wednesdays at 11:59pm, all big essays have Friday due dates, etc.
Give students regular reminders of upcoming/pending assignments
CASE STUDY: Jack is a middle-school student who scores well on standardized tests, though he has low grades and he has difficulty keeping up with his schoolwork—especially in math. He consistently arrives at school 15 (or more) minutes late, frequently turns in assignments past their due dates, and often has missing or incomplete assignments. Outside of school, Jack is a competitive year-round sports player, takes piano and drum lessons, and volunteers with his family at a soup kitchen once a week. Some of his favorite hobbies include video games, trampolining, and playing basketball, and his parents report that these activities sometimes distract him from his schoolwork.
In Jack’s case, his good scores on standardized tests show that he’s high-performing academically, though his lower grades and difficulty keeping up with his work indicate that he may struggle with time management.
To help set students up for success at school, Jack’s math teacher changes his homework schedule so all homework is due on Thursdays. The teacher also reminds students about the upcoming homework due on Thursday, gives approximations on how long the homework should take, and gives students the next 20 minutes of the class period to work on their homework while it’s fresh in their minds.
To help set Jack up for success at home, Jack and his parents make homework a clear priority by setting aside 60 minutes each night after practice to complete assignments before he gets to trampoline, play video games, or play basketball. Although Jack might rather start with one of his preferred activities, he works on homework before he’s had a chance to get distracted by something more appealing to him, and he is more focused and motivated to complete his homework so that he gets to trampoline, play video games, or play basketball afterwards. As an additional measure, Jack’s parents ask his educators at school to provide him access to assignments a few days earlier, allowing Jack to set personal deadlines at least 2 days before an assignment’s due date. Even if Jack doesn’t meet his own personal deadline, this system helps him complete and turn in most of his homework by the official deadline.
Emotions tend to be contagious. The emotion portrayed by an individual has the ability to influence the mood of another, regardless of whether that emotion is positive or negative. In an article discussing the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the temperament of children, Dr. Alphonso Nichols, a clinician with a professional history of treating youth with ADHD, made the statement that anxiety is contagious, and it’s imperative for authority figures in a young person’s life to teach resilience.
Resilience is the ability to recover quickly and fully from setbacks, challenges, and difficulties. Students with ADHD can face frequent challenges and difficulties in academic settings, which can be countered by resilience. Congruent with the philosophy of Dr. Nichols, it’s important—as educators and parents—to create an environment where a student with ADHD is able and encouraged to build up their resilience while growing, learning, and making mistakes. Below are some ways to create this space for a student:
1. Practice self-compassion and remind the student to do the same.
In an article by the University of California, Berkeley on how to build resistance, self-compassion is defined as “confronting our own suffering with an attitude of warmth and kindness, without judgment.”2 For students with ADHD, frustration can build with increased work volume, difficulty of learning material, overwhelming extracurricular activities, and time pressures imposed by authority figures. Modeling self-compassion and allowing the student to do the same can prevent them from becoming critical of their perceived struggles and instead confront them constructively. This practice can be helpful to build resilience, as it may be easier to acknowledge the frustration and move forward when difficult situations arise.
2. Set realistic goals.
Many students feel they are asked to do more and more as their educational level, aptitude for a subject, and abilities progress. It can be intimidating, or even paralyzing, for a student to add more onto what already seems like a substantial workload. Therefore, it’s important to help the student verbalize and establish realistic goals for themselves so they can gain a sense of accomplishment for what they achieve, rather than self-criticism for what they haven’t (yet).
3. Viewing mistakes as an opportunity for growth.
It’s easy to view mistakes (a missing homework assignment, an unsatisfactory test result, a letter sent home from a teacher, etc.) as a major setback or an attack on a student’s progress. Unfortunately, this can stymie motivation and future advancement. Thus, it’s paramount to create an environment at school and home where a student has the ability to learn from their mistakes and improve upon them. Learning from mistakes doesn’t necessarily have to yield extrinsic rewards (e.g. a better grade on a test, or points back on an assignment, ), but can rather encourage the gain of intrinsic rewards. A big part of succeeding in life is learning from mistakes, and it’s important to create an environment where the opportunity to practice this is provided.
4. Practice mindfulness.
Mindfulness allows a student the opportunity to slow down and think through some of their struggles. It also prevents the formation of intrusive thoughts, and confronts those that already exist. These are benefits that may be especially helpful for students with ADHD, as it may allow them to work through their struggles with a different perspective and maintain a positive attitude while doing so. In a classroom setting, the act of allotting a few minutes at the beginning or end of a laborious lecture, intensive class period, or challenging test to relax and meditate may help students process what they’ve learned and develop a positive outlook if they haven’t one already. At home, encouraging meditation sessions could allow for mental breaks in between activities or difficult homework assignments.
5. Remain positive and find hope.
In his article, Dr. Nichols reminds us of the importance of maintaining hope through difficult periods.1 It can be challenging at times to remain hopeful and positive, though it’s incredibly important in order to build resilience and allow a student to continue onwards. Throughout challenging class periods, it can be helpful to remind students that “if you don’t understand this yet, that’s okay,” and during review of challenging homework assignments or tests, to remind students that “if you got this answer wrong, that doesn’t mean you’re not smart.” While to some students this is implied, getting questions wrong or being confused during a lesson that everyone else seems to understand can be incredibly disheartening for a student. Creating this reminder may embolden their self-confidence, encouraging them to correct their mistakes or dive deeper to better understand the source of their confusion.
It’s important to promote resilience in an academic setting as it’s unlikely that anyone will progress through their academic career without facing setbacks. An old adage says that life is 10% what happens to a person, and 90% how they respond to it. Applying this philosophy to academia, both educators and parents may find it helpful to allow their students to build resilience through the difficulties they may face so that they can move past them and exceed their goals and expectations.
Recap:
Everyone processes setbacks differently, but one thing we have in common is that most of our lives are full of them. For students facing setbacks in the classroom, it’s important to provide space for them to build resilience. Here are a few ways that parents and educators can do this regularly:
1. Practice self-compassion and remind the student to do the same.
Homework is one of the most concentration-intensive activities students encounter. This is due to its unstructured and unstimulating nature compared to an interactive lesson being given in a group academic setting. Students with ADHD may have difficulty remaining focused on homework as the concentration required may be difficult for them to maintain. Both teachers and parents can make contributions to assist in the homework completion process and make it easier for their students.
Teachers assign homework as an opportunity for students to learn. However, homework can be a source of frustration in students with ADHD, especially when it is presented as a long, laborious and unstructured assignment. As a teacher/instructor, here are some ways you can present homework to students to promote focus and improve performance.
1. Assign smaller quantities of work at a time.
It’s easy for students with ADHD to get frustrated with homework, which can negatively impact both their concentration and their will to complete the assignment.1 To circumvent this issue, teachers can assign smaller amounts of homework to their students at a time, which will allow students to focus for shorter durations and allow them to spend more time on challenging problems without being overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the work they have yet to complete.
2. Give students time during school to complete homework.
Given that school is a place with relatively minimal distractions that students are expected to concentrate on schoolwork, students with ADHD may have an easier time completing homework while in school. Students already associate the school environment with completing work and staying focused, so some students are significantly more productive at school than they are at home. During this time, they will be able to ask teachers questions if they’re confused about any assignment, and they’ll be surrounded by others completing the same assignment—both of which may keep them focused. During this given homework time, teachers should check in with the student to make sure they are supported and on task.
3. Provide abundantly clear instructions for homework assignments.
It can be difficult for students with ADHD to get started on homework assignments that have either abstract or confusing directions, as frustration can build when they don’t understand what the assignment is asking of them. Providing students with clear instructions, ideally both written and verbal, can help reduce this confusion around the homework assignment. The less confusion around the homework assignment, the easier it may be for the student to remain motivated to complete it.
While homework is occasionally done at school or in other environments, most of a student’s workload has to be completed once they return home for the day. As a parent or guardian, here are some techniques you can employ to create an environment that encourages concentration and improves your student’s home study routine.
1. Dedicate ample and consistent time every day to completing homework.
Most students with ADHD need routine and consistency in order to be productive and stay focused. It can be challenging for students to block off time every day specifically for homework, especially if their schedule varies throughout the week. As such, providing students with consistent homework schedules, during which they are given ample time to complete all assignments, may make the transition to homework from other activities less distressing.2 They will reach a point where they can manage their time better on their own, but sometimes they need your guidance!
2. Allow time for frequent breaks.
Another challenge that students with ADHD face is concentrating for extended periods of time.1 Students may be most focused when their work time is separated by short, frequent breaks.. These short breaks should be about 5-10 minutes in duration, as it gives them enough time to walk around, get a snack, and mentally separate from the work; luckily, this is not long enough for the momentum of concentration to be lost completely. A popular study method, dubbed the “Pomodoro Method’,’ employs this technique. The Pomodoro Method divides work times into periods: students study for a set amount of time and then take a short, timed break. (The most common example is 50 minutes of study time followed by a 10-minute break, though there are many other permutations of the method.)
3. Manufacture a good space for the student to complete work.
While doing homework, it’s easy for students with ADHD to get distracted by all the other stimuli present in their study space (TV, video games, other electronic devices, food, friends, family, loud noises, favorite toys, etc.). Trying to minimize distractions and provide the best conditions for concentration (keeping the room at a comfortable temperature, ensuring there’s enough light in the room, limited auditory distractions) can help the student better focus on the homework in front of them. When optimizing your student’s space, it’s important to remember that everyone’s ideal study space is different. The most common example of this variation is that some students like to work with background noise, while others prefer silence.3 Allow your student to help you design their study space so that it’s best suited to their preferences.
4. Develop a “study partner” routine.
Study environments in which others are also doing homework, studying, or reading can be the most effective tactic to help students with ADHD maintain their concentration.3 It can be a source of distraction for a student to know that while they’re studying, people in the next room are engaged in a more appealing activity. Alternatively, it can promote concentration if there are multiple people studying in the same place at the same time, as it can boost accountability for the work to be completed and prevent thoughts of missing out on preferred activity.
Recap:
The homework process can be challenging for students with ADHD, but there are several actionable steps both teachers and parents can take to prevent distraction and promote concentration and productivity in their students.
Teachers can try the following:
1. Assign smaller quantities of work at a time.
2. Give students time during school to complete homework.
3. Provide abundantly clear instructions (both written and verbal) for homework assignments.
Parents can try the following:
1. Dedicate ample and consistent time every day to completing homework.
2. Allow time for frequent breaks.
3. Manufacture a good space for the student to complete work.
Hyperactivity, forgetfulness, distraction, abrupt or excessively frequent input into conversations, irritability, and difficulty waiting have been colloquially identified as rude behaviors in many settings. Although these behaviors indeed appear rude, ADHD affects executive function skills, self-stimulating behaviors and self-control, which occasionally manifest in similar behavioral patterns. It’s important to acknowledge that the portrayal of these behaviors is not an intentional choice, but rather a product of the challenges associated with ADHD. Professionals suggest that a vast majority of people with ADHD struggle with executive function, though the skills can be taught and learned if addressed appropriately. Below are some important points of advice for parents or authority figures when considering this behavior from their student:
Remember that the student likely has no intention of exhibiting inappropriate social behaviors. It can be easy to feel irritated with such behaviors, but recognizing them for what they are can ease this frustration and allow an opportunity for you to help your student improve their behavior without discouraging them.
Make sure to celebrate the strengths that these same behaviors provide. Perceived weaknesses can, in a different context, be one of the greatest strengths. (For example: impatience may appear rude in a conversation, but could also manifest as persistence that leads to goal achievement). Recognizing that the child can sustain the positive aspects of their behavior while improving upon the negative parts lets them understand how their habits and tendencies can be an asset to their character, not just a detriment. Once this realization occurs, they can find ways to improve upon their behavior or use their strengths to do so.
Avoid scolding or directly addressing the behavior in a negative context. A report from an educational professional suggests that addressing behavior that may appear disrespectful serves only to impede the progress of behavioral correction in children with ADHD.1 Asking the student questions (“Did you think that was the right decision?”) allows them room to reflect on something they may not have considered before, and prevents them from feeling frustrated at the perceived lack of understanding from a scolding message.1
Make sure that you sustain a favorable balance between positive and negative feedback. Some people tend to develop stronger emotions towards negative feedback, which can make it seem as though it’s being given in excess compared to positive feedback. Balance is important to reinforce change. A good adage to remember: If you have the right to criticize someone, you have the responsibility to compliment them!
Above all else, it’s important to ensure that the student feels their behavioral tendencies (including the ones that can be perceived as rude in certain contexts) are appreciated and understood. When feeling understood, it’s easier to use and reflect upon the advice one is given to create a change. This also builds rapport between the authority figure and student that allows them to collaboratively find solutions to the problematic behavior without discouragement.
