Now that the 4th of July has passed it is OFFICIALLY summer! Time for summer camp, short work weeks and fun in the sun. As a parent however I’m always thinking of summer slide! With the twins headed to 3rd grad and Erick on his way to Middle School preventing summer slide is top of mind.
For those who don’t know what Summer Slide is the tendency for students to lose or forget what they learned during the school year. 2 months of none educational activity (especially reading) can be detrimental to children when they get back into the classroom in the fall. To help prevent summer slide here are a few ideas to keep them learning even though for some kids, the summer is like “Saturday everyday”.
- Visit the library. Pick out books that are educational yet interesting. Make sure they are age and stage appropriate.
- Download books. If you can’t make it to the library download books electronically. My boys love video games so we purchased them Kindle Fire’s and will download a few books they can read before they play.
- Read WITH them. It’s fun for both you and your child. My children are very animated so when they read they often act out scenes. Change your voice and make the story engaging.
- Read TO them. Children are never to old for bedtime stories!
- Summer slide doesn’t just apply to reading… get those numbers flowing as well. Search online and find printable age and grade appropriate math worksheets. Here are a couple good resources http://themathworksheetsite.com/, http://www.superkids.com/aweb/tools/math/
- Create a schedule. If they are out all day at camp etc then evenings would be the best time to get some educational fun in. If they are home in the AM and off to camp in the afternoon then morning ‘at home school’ is the best bet. Pick a time each day and stick with it.
- Take educational trips. It’s great to head to the movies and amusement parks but it’s also important to hit up museums, national monuments and the like. These are fun and education tips. Allow your child to bring a camera so they can take photo’s and create a photo journal of their trip sharing the amazing things they learned. Fun and education all in one adventure! In NYC there are days they you can visit museums for FREE, check out resources like .gov sites in your area to see who’s free or low cost.
- Quiz ’em. I’m all about a good pop quiz. Make sure they are soaking up all the knowledge from their books and daily learning breaks.
- Flash cards. Use flash cards for math and vocabulary! If your child is learning or will begin to learn a new language in the fall incorporate language flashcards as well.
- Learning is fun. Don’t make it a task or they’ll hate it. Make the time exciting and engaging both for you and your child/children. Prevent summer slide at all cost!
Please share this list with your friends a loved ones so our children are prepared for the fall and not left behind.
Until next time…
MrsDeveter 