Education Experience Unlocked: Summer Slide or Summer Success, You Choose!

Given that my post last week was about the detriments of homework, you may be shocked at my perspective on summer (don’t stop reading now, you’re already here!) The dreaded “summer slide” is not a fun park activity. It is the term we use to refer to learning momentum that is lost over the summer. You know the old saying, if you don’t use it, you lose it? That’s what happens to kids each summer if they completely disengage from using their academic skills. For many years, when my children were younger, even I ignored this issue. Kids lose between 1 to 3 months of learning over summer. That’s enough to potentially set them back a full quarter of learning! Don’t stress, avoiding summer slide is not impossible, and it won’t take every waking moment of your summer either (who wants that? Not me.)

Once again, this adventure from summer slide to summer success is about balance. By building academic tasks into your days, kids will maintain more of their academic skills. Try simple integrations into what you’re already doing! Going to the grocery store? Have your child find items that begin with a certain letter or allow kids to have a budget and choose the items they want to buy. Providing opportunities for kids to practice their reading and math skills will help them maintain their confidence related to these skills! Read, read, read, and then read some more. This doesn’t have to occupy their entire day, however, just 15 minutes of daily reading can help to keep their skills sharp and prevent summer slide. Offer an incentive for completing these types of tasks!

You may decide that the fight of getting your child off of their device during the summer isn’t worth it. That’s ok! Leverage their interest in all things digital by incorporating digital platforms that allow practice of academic skills. Again, this isn’t an all-day affair. Take just 10 to 15 minutes over the course of a day to use the skills they’ve got! Make it a game even if you choose to go low tech. For younger kids, teach them how to play card games like war. Comparing numbers is a necessary skill, and they’ll like being able to beat you without you feeling like there are too many rules to the game. Candyland for colors practice. Shut the box is a phenomenal practice of mental addition skills and it involves dice, which kids love. Going to the store? Give older kids a budget for their snack choices. All they need is a small clipboard, paper and a pencil. This not only builds math computation skills but introduces them to the concept of weighing options and making their own choices!

Get outside! Kids are naturally curious. Visits to local parks or even historical sites will organically encourage questions. I always told my students that the smartest people are those who ask the most questions. Everything is figureoutable. Kids asking questions that parents may not have an answer for leads to practice of another critical skill: research. Empower your kids to investigate topics of interest to them and begin creating presentations to share with family and friends. Preventing summer slide is not about a rigid regiment of academics (unless that is what you desire), it’s about identifying a passion within your child and encouraging further exploration of those areas. Trips to the library offer endless possibilities for discovering new interests.

Bottom line is, keep it FUN. Some of the non-academic games kids are playing still require use of critical thinking skills, some math, and reading. Villainizing technology in today’s generations won’t work. Instead, leverage it to maximize the time kids spend using it. Kids can practice typing, multiplication facts, sight words, coding and much more using FREE platforms, and often they enjoy the process. I know the kids that come to our summer programs at FUNdamental Minds have fun all summer and they truly don’t argue with doing academic activities for short durations throughout their day. Learning should be FUN. Find the ways that work for your kids and your family and it can help you avoid frustrations and a headache at the beginning of the next school year! Share your thoughts in the comments. Need ideas? Leave us a comment. We are happy to help!