As the school year winds down, students look forward to several months of sleeping in, few responsibilities, and plenty of fun. However, from an academic standpoint, the summer is the most dangerous part of the year. It is widely known that summer slide impacts many students; they end up returning to school in the fall having lost valuable information and skills over the summer. Much of the beginning of the school year is often spent simply getting students back to where they were a few months prior. The key to avoiding summer slide is to keep students thinking over the summer. While a full course schedule isn’t necessary (and would probably result in a student rebellion), doing a little something each day to engage the mind can be very helpful. Students can engage their mind in any number of ways.
1. Summer reading
Summer reading gets a bad reputation from the lists of (often boring) books that teachers hand out to combat summer slide. However, any reading whatsoever is helpful. Go to the library- have the student ask the librarian for help finding books that the student will enjoy! Students are much more likely to read if it is a story or topic that they find interesting.
- Prep for tests
Students often don’t have the time during the school year to prep for standardized tests. If you have a high schooler, encourage them to spend just an hour or two each week working through a prep book or meeting with a tutor. The structure of having a meeting each week can help a lot as far as keeping students on track.
- Summer camps
If your student has an interest in a particular topic, explore the summer opportunities around that subject. Is there a camp being offered? Job opportunity? Shadowing day? Summer is a great time to work with students to help them better understand what career they want to pursue- don’t waste that time!
- Travel, museums, and other educational opportunities
If you can, use the summer to help students expand their horizons by doing the things you don’t have time for during the busy school year. Take a vacation to a historic city, have them learn about nature through a camping trip, or go to that museum just down the street. All of this will help keep their minds engaged!
Finally, keep in mind that your kids are kids! They had a long year at school. The older they are the more extra curriculars, jobs, and commitments they had. The school year is often go-go-go. Don’t forget to give your students unstructured time to be kids over the summer. Let them relax, have fun, and enjoy their time off.