A new study shows that just a few minutes of weekly math practice during the summer can prevent students from losing academic ground. Using data from tens of thousands of students, researchers found a direct link between structured summer practice and stronger math performance in the fall. The study arrives as educators and parents work to counter summer learning loss.
What Happened
According to a new study of nearly 50,000 K-12 students released by IXL Learning, regular math practice during the summer break improves fall assessment scores. The research, which tracked students across 10 U.S. states, showed that students who did not practice saw their fall diagnostic scores drop. Those who used the platform maintained or advanced their skills. Researchers noted that answering just 15 math questions weekly helped students gain the equivalent of five weeks of learning. The study also showed that incremental increases in study time, such as an additional 15 minutes of weekly practice or 30 questions answered, led to higher scores in the fall.
The Bigger Picture
The "summer slide" is a long-standing challenge. Historical data suggests students can lose between 17% and 34% of their school-year gains over the break. However, this loss is not distributed evenly across subjects or age groups. According to research from Kaizly, students routinely lose 20% to 50% of their annual math gains over the summer. Middle school students in grades 6 to 8 experience steeper declines (36% to 50%) than elementary students. Math skills decay faster than reading because daily home life rarely offers opportunities to practice equations or fractions. To counter this, U.S. school districts spent an estimated $5.8 billion in federal recovery funds on summer programming. Still, the severity of the slide remains a subject of debate. NWEA researchers point out that modern assessments show highly variable declines depending on grade level and demographic factors.
What This Means for Families
While the results support summer practice, many parents and educators raise concerns about how these programs work. As we previously reported, tension exists between digital drill apps and parent anxiety over screen time. Independent reviews on Monster Math Blog show that IXL's "SmartScore" system, which penalizes mistakes by deducting 7 to 20 points as students near mastery, can trigger severe math anxiety and frustration. This environment can backfire for students with learning differences like ADHD or dyscalculia. When we examined how parents flag scoring stress, cognitive scientists noted that rigid, drill-style setups are often less effective than visual, conceptual learning for struggling students.
What You Can Do
To prevent learning loss without causing burnout, families can keep practice short and consistent. Research published in Frontiers in Psychology indicates that practicing math for just 15 minutes a day, five days a week, leads to measurable skill improvements because short sessions optimize brain retention.
Rather than grinding through endless digital worksheets, parents can focus on active problem-solving. Encouraging children to explain the logic behind their formulas builds conceptual understanding instead of simple memorization.
A balanced routine also helps. Families can set up a weekly schedule, such as devoting 20 minutes a day on weekdays to target specific topics, followed by a light review, leaving weekends entirely free for screen-free play.