For school-age children, summer can be a joyous time of the year. Carefree hours of fun swimming, playing outside, going to camp, and doing anything but school work. However, did you know that many schoolchildren can lose valuable amounts of knowledge over the summer months?
Children may return to school in September, having lost some of the achievement gains they made during the previous school year. This Mama is referred to as the summer slide.
Teachers report having to spend up to a month reteaching information taught during the previous school year. Of course, this creates a snowball effect, as the curriculum intended for September onwards gets pushed back. So, how can we prevent this from happening? Here are some simple activities to do that will keep your children’s brains engaged over the summer (without them realizing they’re still learning!).
Reading Comprehension
When there’s so much to do in the summertime, it may not be easy to get your child to want to sit down with a good book. Find anything and everything for your kids to read, and be sure to read together. Take a chapter book and take turns reading the chapters out loud. What about finding a new series that you can dive into over the summer together? It encourages kids to read, listen, and discuss the book, providing an excellent opportunity for you to bond with them. Let them read poems, storybooks, or even the placards in front of museum displays.
Many schools offer summer reading lists, and depending on your child’s age and school district, you may even have mandatory summer reading assignments. If that is the case, have your child start early, right at the end of June, while their brain is still in “school mode.” If your child is resistant, consider making reading a prerequisite for other activities. For example, at home, for every hour spent reading (time varies depending on the child’s age and stamina), my child can earn some time on the computer, in the pool, or watching TV.
Many local establishments also offer fun reading programs over the summer. These may help motivate your child to read. Check out your local library to see if they have a program for your family. Barnes & Noble also offers a summer program where kids can earn free books! If you can’t find a program that suits you, why not visit the library or bookstore on your own? Allowing your child to choose their own book may encourage them to read!
Math Summer Fun
Try to make math fun for your little ones over the summer. Play math games together like addition, multiplication, or subtraction War (rules are the same as the classic card game, but you turn two cards over at a time and either add, subtract, or multiply them together). Are games not your thing? Cook with your kid! Measuring ingredients is great for the math-minded! Take it a step further by having them plan and budget for the meal. Have your child help create a shopping list and add the prices found on the flyer or in-store.
Math can also be incorporated into outdoor play. Children of all ages can go on outdoor hunts and count the number of trees in their neighborhood, or count the different birds they saw on a nature hike, etc. Whatever you choose to do, make sure you don’t let math be forgotten over the summer.
Get Out Of Town
One of the best ways to engage your child is to spend time with them. Plan a vacation or even a Westchester staycation. You will be surprised by the numerous authentic learning opportunities you can encounter on vacation. Reading signs on historical buildings will build knowledge and reading comprehension. Lining yourself up against a sign saying, “You must be this tall to ride,” offers an opportunity for a measuring lesson. That same roller coaster ride can be an opportunity to talk physics. Don’t forget, open-ended conversations where both participants are actively engaged are a great way to boost writing and reading abilities because they help your little one become a critical thinker.
Why not expose your child to something new, a trip to an art or history museum? Try spending the day at a farm or zoo and talk about the environment or a food chain. If your child enjoys history, Westchester County is an ideal place to be!
There is an abundance of museums and historical sites to take in. Try the John Jay Mansion and Heritage Center in Rye, or Philipsburg Manor in Sleepy Hollow. If you can’t take a vacation, consider taking a class with your child instead. Take a music class or a one-day painting class. Every opportunity to do something new is a hidden opportunity to learn.
While you’re at it, have your child keep a journal and write or draw about all the new experiences they have over the summer. Don’t stress the grammar and perfect composition; help them build a love for the written word. If they are too young to write, drawing is a wonderful first step. Have them dictate a sentence about what they drew, and you can write it for them!
The Bottom Line
Everyone wants their kid to achieve and be successful. We all want what is best for our little ones. If that means pulling them out of the pool for a little academics, so be it! Avoid the summer slide, and you may find that you and your child had fun in the process!
