If you are a parent, no matter the age of your kids, you probably deal with this (we know we do!)…
The summer slide. Blah. If you aren’t familiar with that term, it is when kids often lack motivation to learn over the summer and, in fact, lose some of their achievement gains over the last school year.
We asked our panel of local teachers and educational experts how we can avoid the summer slide as much as possible.
Also, how can we motivate our kids to still be excited about learning over the summer when they would rather be outside with their friends (can you blame them?!). Here is what they had to say:
- Begin the summer with a “Bucket List” of things they would like to do this summer. Keep it simple and inexpensive. You will be amazed at what they want to do. Most of it requires very little money and maybe just some extra time on your part. It is hard to motivate kids if they aren’t interested! Find out what they think is cool and what interests them and make a learning activity out of it!
- Get involved with your local library or begin your own “Learning Club.” It could be centered around what your child is interested in or needs extra help with. *Reading, Science, Math etc. Invite friends to be part of the club!
- Family Culinary Nights: Each week have your child help read a recipe, write out the shopping list, go to the grocery store to locate items and help make the meal. This activity is fun and can help strengthen writing, reading, math and science skills!
- Games/Puzzles: Many skills are embedded in the games children play. Learning can be tons of fun.
- Pen Pals with other friends. Ask friends for addresses (email or home) and have kids keep in touch with friends throughout the summer! Reading and writing skills are enhanced whenever kids are writing or typing!
- Local field trips and then put on presentations to family and friends. Our area offers tons of opportunities to visit free learning locations. Don’t be afraid to even call a local vet office, bank or dining facility and ask if your child can interview or tour the local business. After their visit they can construct a presentation and present to family and friends of what they learned.
- Free websites for free things and watch the mail. Everyone likes to get mail. Check online for free educational magazines and stuff. Ask for maps or brochures of places they would like to visit. Have them plan a visit by reading and looking through the brochures. It is always fun to watch the mail and writing and requesting information can be educational!
Summer day trips to the library, nature parks, discovery centers and local museums can assist in helping prevent summer slide. When you take day trips, ask your kids questions about what they are seeing. Have them explain in detail their thought, feeling and answers to questions of what they observe.
Having story time or reading time at home at least three times a week will significantly help students brush up comprehension and reading skills. Conversations with your kids about what they see, thing and feel about certain topics can also be very engaging, especially if you add a google search to verify facts.
Another suggestion is having a word of the day! A word of the day can be fun and educational for students of all ages. Pick a word from a dictionary and have them use it in a sentence and give them points for as many ways as they can use it in daily conversation.
Most importantly, keep a positive attitude about school and education during the summer and really at all times is the key to student success. As a parent we should always talk to our kids about the importance of an education, no matter the time of year!