Numerous studies show that students experience learning loss when they don’t engage in educational activities during the summer.
Experts agree that children who read and engage in learning during the summer months gain reading and other academic skills, while those who don’t often slide backward. Making it common for teachers to spend the first 4-6 weeks of the school year re-teaching material that students have forgotten.
There are numerous ways and resources to ensure that your child continues to gain key academic skills and avoid learning loss during the summer break. See some helpful tips below.
1. Take a trip to the public library. In efforts to keep students reading during the summer months, many public library systems have summer reading programs. Check with your public library to see if they have a summer reading program. New York Public Library System keeps students reading during the summer months with their Summer Reading Challenge.
2. Cook with your child. Learning how to cook using recipes helps kids with their reading and math skills. Learn more from Small Steps Online.
3. Enroll in a quality summer camp. Here are some good tips when deciding what camp to send your child to this summer.
4. Listen to Audio Books. Instead of listening to the radio during a long drive. Try listening to an audio book. Benefits of listening to audio books stem from gaining critical listening skills to learning a new dialect. Learn more about the benefits of audio books.
5. Plan a trip. Use Google Maps or MapQuest to help your child explore and understand travel distances and routes.
6. Download Digital Learning Apps. There’s a ton of mobile apps that help students grow their academic skills. See this list of best learning apps from parents.com.
The summer slide affects millions of children in the U.S. each year. Help your child avoid the slippery slope by engaging in learning throughout the summer.
For more information and ideas on how to keep learning fun throughout the summer break check out these articles.