10 Ways to make Summer Learning Fun: Combating The Summer Slide

It is that time of year again, SUMMER BREAK IS HERE!  Children love summer break for it is the time to relax, vacation, swim, sleep till noon, and play video games to their hearts content.  Parents and caretakers are typically relaxed on their daily schedule and believe that Summer Break is when kids take a time out from a structured learning approach.

August sneaks up on us so quickly and Back To School is on the forefront to most parents and retailers. New clothes, book bags, lunch boxes, and school supplies are some of the first things that come to mind. Well, I’m here to tell you that is NOT what your kid really needs to be ready.  Working as a teacher and Administrator in public schools for over 12 years, I have witnessed so many children come back to school with the newest shoes, designer clothes, and sometimes all the school supplies on the list.

The things that are lacking are the comprehension, computation, critical thinking and problem-solving skills that were “mastered” the school year prior.

I am referring to summer loss, also known as the Summer Slide. The National Summer Learning Association conducted a study and determined that students whom do not participate in summer learning can lose up to two months of reading and mathematics skills during the summer break.  Teachers spend up to six weeks re-teaching skills in the first few months of school.  This time spent re-teaching sets children back in the progression of the standards and eventually it adds up to children being below grade level.

Research spanning 100 years shows that students typically score lower on standardized tests at the end of summer vacation than they do on the same tests at the beginning of the summer.

So, how do we as parents combat the summer slide? Summer camps can be very costly and often it is unrealistic to be able to afford camp for all your children during the entire summer.  The following is a Top 10 list of ways to combat summer loss, without breaking the bank, and ensure your children are BACK TO SCHOOL READY.

1. Family Book Club

Each family member will select one or two books per month to read.  At the end of the month, each person will report on the book during a family book club.  You will discuss the content of the story, ask questions regarding author’s purpose, make connections from the story to real life experiences, and share likes/dislikes about the text.  You can make it fun by planning snacks or fun summer beverages to share at the Family book club meeting.

2. Family Field Trips

Take a weekly trip to a local museum, library, city or town nearby.  Have the children research different places they want to go and present why these places interest them and what they hope to learn.  Make a list of the places your children choose, and visit one place each week.  While visiting, children can make a list of the attractions they wish to see and write down what they learned.  Many museums and state parks are free to the public, so this is a very low cost, adventurous, and educational option for summer family fun.

3. Planning and Cooking Meals

Children should be involved in meal planning and incorporating healthy options into their diet.  Each child can decide their favorite meals and practice writing recipes.  They can also get involved with cooking the meals.  Cooking promotes reading comprehension, sequencing, measuring, mathematics, and science skills.

4. Calculating Costs of Activities

Children always know the places they want to visit and the games and toys they wish to buy, but they never seem to have a gauge on cost.  Provide the children with a budget for activities during the summer.  Have them work together to determine the places they would like to go and activities they want to do.  Then, they can calculate the cost of the activities and determine if they fit into the budget.  Also, they can calculate the travel distance and determine the cost of gas to arrive at the destinations.  This activity promotes mathematical skills and teaches the basics of financial literacy.

5. Trivia and Game Nights

Engage in family fun nights with trivia games and board games.  Learning the game of Chess is a great opportunity for children to practice problem solving and strategy. Board games support reading fluency and critical thinking skills.

6. Arts and Crafts

Encourage children to be creative and produce art projects that inspire them.  There are a wide range of activities that can tap into the creative side of your children.  This could be painting, building with Legos or blocks, dancing, singing, poetry, or computer graphics.  Allow the children to decide what types of activities they love and let their creative juices flow.

7. Physical Activity

Children should have at least two hours of physical activity every single day.  They can go swimming, walking in the neighborhood, hiking, playing ball outside, or going to the playground.  Turn off the television, take away the cell phone, hide the tablet and make them go outside! Pretend it’s 1975 again!

8. Vacation Planning

If you are planning to take a family vacation, get the kids involved in planning the activities.  Have them research the location, find activities, and calculate the cost. Have them choose a vacation location and pitch their ideas. They can create a power point presentation or prezi and use persuasion skills to convince you to take them on the trip.

9. Car Ride Games

Instead of listening to music, turning on the DVD player, or letting the children put on their headphones and watch youtube; engage the children in car ride games that challenge their critical thinking skills.  Examples include: I spy; I’m going on a picnic; Categories; or the License Plate game.

10. Creative Writing and Public Speaking

Children need to spend time writing over the summer.  Writing is an integral part of reading comprehension.  Determine a creative writing task to connect with the family book club.  Have children write a short summary of their experiences at the museums you visited or the vacation. Children can practice public speaking by sharing their work with the family.

Engaging your children in summer learning can be fun and cost-effective.  Following these ten activities will push your children to become critical thinkers and problem solvers, it will include them in family planning, and result in the exploration of their talents.  Summer should be fun, relaxing and educational.  Make sure your kids are Ready for Back to School.

You Raise. We Rise