<p>Mathematics is a language, and like any other language must be practiced regularly to maintain proficiency. </p>
<p>Many kids lose math skills over the summer, because they don’t do anything that requires mathematical proficiency. This is a bigger problem in the US than in other countries because our schools typically take a longer summer break.</p>
<p>Also, many kids (especially ones that know they are heading to community college) don’t take math all 4 years of HS. Most HSs only requires two years of math for graduation, and the majority of 4-year college admissions only require 3 years. And then there are the returning students, who probably haven’t thought about math for years. Think about the foreign language class that you (probably) took in HS – how well did you retain that ability once you graduated? </p>
<p>It is no surprise that kids arrive at college with atrophied math skills!</p>