Fun Ways To Keep Your Child’s Education Going During Summer Break
Keeping your child’s education going during the summer is vital to prevent learning loss over the summer months. By making time to read, study, practice and learn a new skill, you’ll help your child get back on track for the school year ahead!
Preventing The “Summer Slide”
Summer learning loss, also known as the “summer slide,” is a common issue for students. It occurs as students take a break from academics for months at a time, and is often worsened by socioeconomic status. And despite the negative effects of summer learning loss, there are fun ways to keep your child’s education going during summer break. Studies show that students who study regularly throughout the summer tend to have higher test scores when they return to school in the fall. As such, it’s essential for students to make time for studying a few times a week over the summer.
Reading
By finding ways to study and read for a long time, you can help your child maintain their grades throughout the summer. You can also encourage them to read and study by setting a good example. Kids are more likely to follow your lead than you think. If you have a student that is struggling with grammar concepts, for instance, help them review what they learned during the previous school year. Taking a look at a workbook that covers the concepts they are missing can give them a great refresher course. You can also talk to their teacher about what materials they should review over the summer. They will have suggestions for reading, projects and more that you can work on together.
Learning A New Skill
From family trips to museums, new literature or a fun experiment in the kitchen, there are plenty of opportunities to get your child’s mind active. For example, if your child has taken an interest in biology, you can encourage them to plant flowers and vegetables. This activity will not only give your child an opportunity to learn about how plants grow, but it’ll also help them build their responsibility skills by remembering to water the plants each day. Similarly, if your child is interested in mathematics, you can try teaching them a new skill like batting averages or slugging percentages. This is a great way to keep math on their minds, and it will be helpful when they are back in the classroom.
Take A Field Trip
Kids love to go on fun adventures during their summer break, so a great way to incorporate their education into this is to plan a fun field trip for them. This activity is a great way for them to bond with their classmates, make memories and learn something new at the same time. For example, taking a field trip to a local zoo or aquarium is a good way to teach your children about the different species of animals. These places are often very well-organized and provide tons of opportunities for your kids to interact with the animals they see. And depending on where you live, there may be many options to choose from.
Cooking
Teaching your kids how to cook is one of the best things that you can do for them. Not only will they be able to help out with dinner, but they will also learn a few essential life skills along the way. You can get started by introducing basic kitchen skills like chopping, measuring and reading a recipe. At this age, they can rip lettuce leaves into bite-size pieces or shred carrots. Then, they can practice putting ingredients in the oven safely and making their own salad dressing from scratch. This activity can be completed at any age, but it is especially beneficial for younger children!