Parent Tips: The Summer Slide
Editor’s Note: This article ran during the summer of 2018. Considering the school year switched to at-home schooling for the last several months, avoiding the “summer slide” is especially important this summer. While you want to enjoy every last second of the sunshine, you also need to make sure your kids are ready to head back in September.
When I think of the “Summer Slide,” I like to think of a long slide with lots of curves that ends with a person being thrown into a pool. Unfortunately, there is a whole different meaning that refers to the amount of academic material that kids seem to forget when they have a long break from school. All of our minds tend to slip a little when we are away from our everyday routines. For kids, this can make September and the rest of the school year a whole lot tougher to handle. It’s hard to learn new things when you forget the previous concepts you are building upon. Research has shown that students, on average, lose about two months of math and reading over the course of the summer. Because this loss is cumulative, a space of 2-5 years can be created by the time a student reaches high school. This would make getting ahead almost impossible. The good news is that the Summer Slide can be prevented. Here are some ways to help your children retain what they learned over the school year so they can start in September ready to go!
• Read, read, read! Children should read for at least 20 minutes a day. Make it fun and take them to the local library to get a card for the summer. Each week, take them back to pick out books they are interested in. Let them select the books! It doesn’t matter what they are reading, as long as they are (within reason, of course). Our libraries have wonderful reading programs to keep kids on track.
• Read to your kids. While it is important for children to read on their own, it is just as important for you to read to them. This helps them develop a stronger vocabulary, learn expression while reading and so much more. Pick out a harder book that your child might not be able to read alone and read a chapter each night. Or pick a book that you can read together, alternating pages. Whatever keeps your child’s attention – do it!
• Math can be a lot of fun in the summer, as you can make anything a math game. Take your children to the store and let them estimate what the bill will be. Let your children help you pay the bill at dinner, figuring out the tip and then what change you should get back. Let your kids help you cook so they can practice measuring, fractions, etc. For younger children, counting shells, steps you take and even the stars at night will keep their minds moving.
• Spelling is a super easy subject to practice. We have spelling bees in our living room every week. Sometimes we make it a competition on who can spell a word correctly the fastest. If your children are far apart in age, take turns with words on each of their levels and see at the end who gets the most right. Have your children read the signs when you are on a road trip and then ask them later how to spell the things they read. Say your grocery list out loud and have your child write it down for you. Then take a look at the words together and see how many were written correctly.
• Writing is one of the hardest things to teach, in my opinion. There are so many ways to express yourself and every child thinks and writes differently. Encourage your children to keep a journal over the summer. Have them write each day about what they did, what they saw and even how they felt. You will learn a lot about what interests them. Letter writing is another great idea. Find your child a pen pal they can correspond with over the summer. Kids absolutely love to get mail!
Unplug as much as you can, or at least do something educational! I would love to suggest leaving the iPads, phones and everything else at home. As a mother, I know this isn’t realistic. Try to limit screen time as much as you can. It was a long winter and kids need to be outside playing! But for those times when you are desperate, like it’s been raining for two days, kids won’t stop fighting or you just need to make a phone call, encourage your kids to play something educational. ABC Mouse is just one example of a great app that allows kids to practice every school subject based on their level.
Don’t let the Summer Slide creep into your home. Keep working hard but have fun!
