Summer Survival Series: Preventing the Summer Slide: Making Summer Learning Fun and Stress-Free
Welcome back to our Summer Survival Series! We are on day four of our five-part series, designed to help you navigate the summer months with ease and enjoyment. If you're just joining us, be sure to catch up on parts one, two, and three. These episodes are packed with quick, actionable tips to help you not just survive summer, but truly thrive.
If you missed any of those, I highly recommend going back and checking them out. Today, we’re diving into part four: preventing the summer slide and promoting summer learning.
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What is the Summer Slide
First, let’s talk about what the summer slide is. The summer slide refers to the learning loss that kids experience during their break from school. Some studies show that students can lose about two full months of reading skills and it can take up to six weeks in the fall to relearn what they lost over the summer. This means a significant portion of the new school year is spent re-teaching old material. Our goal is to help our kids head back to school in the fall on their best foot, ready for success.
What’s really cool is that the tips from our previous episodes—establishing routines, creating a summer vision and bucket list, and setting up chore zones—can also help prevent the summer slide. These strategies put structure into your summer, which in turn keeps your kids’ minds active and engaged. You’re already ahead of the game!
Before we dive deeper, I want to emphasize something important: don’t stress too much about completely preventing the summer slide. We’re not trying to turn ourselves into homeschool teachers or run a summer school. This is about finding fun, easy ways to keep our kids learning. Give yourself grace if things don’t go perfectly. The goal is to incorporate learning naturally and enjoyably.
Now, let’s break down how to prevent the summer slide in reading and math.
Reading
Keeping up with reading is one of the simplest ways to prevent the summer slide. The baseline recommendation is about 20 minutes of reading a day. However, even just making reading a part of your daily routine can have a big impact. Here are a few ideas:
Set Family Reading Goals: Not just for your kids, but for the whole family. Discuss what each person wants to read over the summer and make it a shared activity.
Reading Charts and Rewards: Use reading charts or graphs to track progress.Everyday Reading has fantastic printable charts that make this fun. Consider rewards like a special outing, an ice cream date, or a movie night for books that have film adaptations.
Readathon Days: Dedicate a day to reading. Make it fun with pajamas, blankets, and forts. Create a cozy reading nook, and maybe even throw in some themed snacks. This is perfect for those days when you need a relaxing activity.
Model Reading: Show your kids that you’re also committed to reading by letting them see you enjoy your own books.
Math
Incorporating math into everyday activities is easier than you might think, and it doesn't have to involve boring workbooks or flashcards:
Summer Jobs and Small Businesses: Older kids with summer jobs are naturally practicing math by counting money, budgeting, and understanding their earnings. For younger kids, running a lemonade stand or selling handmade crafts involves plenty of math skills.
Cooking and Baking: Recipes require measuring ingredients, which is a great way to practice math. Involve your kids in the kitchen and they’ll be learning without even realizing it.
Road Trips and Hikes: Calculate distances, travel times, and elevations. This makes long trips more engaging and educational.
Interactive Learning and New Skills
Beyond reading and math, keeping your kids’ minds engaged through interactive learning and new skills is crucial:
Field Trips: Visits to the zoo, aquarium, museums, and nature centers are fantastic. Encourage your kids to read brochures, ask questions, and engage with exhibits.
Language Learning: Apps like Duolingo make learning a new language fun and interactive. My kids are learning Portuguese, which they practice with their Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instructors.
Summer Journals: Encourage your kids to document their summer adventures in a journal. This not only practices writing skills but also helps with reflection and gratitude.
Creative Writing and Drawing: Have fun with creative projects like story writing or drawing games. One game we love is scribble drawing, where one person scribbles and the other has to turn it into a picture.
Screen Time
While screen time often gets a bad rap, it can be a great tool when used wisely:
Educational Resources: Use online resources like Khan Academy, Scholastic’s summer reading challenges, ABC Mouse, and National Geographic Kids. These platforms offer structured learning in a fun and engaging way.
Educational Games: Card games like Uno, Crazy Eights, and Go Fish, and board games like Chess, Monopoly, and Scrabble encourage strategic thinking, problem-solving, and math skills.
The summer slide is real, but preventing it doesn’t have to be stressful or complicated. Simple, everyday activities can keep your kids’ minds engaged and learning throughout the summer. Start small and find what works best for your family. Remember, the goal is to make learning fun and natural, without taking away from the joy of summer.
I hope this episode has given you some ideas and inspiration. Tomorrow, we’ll wrap up our series with part five, all about embracing boredom and why it might actually be a good thing for our kids.
If you’ve been enjoying this series, I’d love to hear from you. Leave a review, send me a DM, or share this with another mom who could use these tips. Let’s grow this positive community together!
Thanks for being here, and see you tomorrow for our final episode!
After You Listen:
Need a recap on the rest of the Summer Survival Series?
Part 1: Maintaining Routines for a Stress-Free Summer- click here
Part 2: Creating Your Perfect Summer Vision Board and Bucket List -click here
Part 3: Say Goodbye to Summer Chore Charts & Simplify with Zone Cleaning- click here
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