Parent Summer Activity Tips

Ah! Summertime. A glorious period of camping and bonfires, swimming and boating, sleeping until noon and doing nothing… Yes, summertime is a vacation; a break, but how can you balance the freedom of summer and prevent the summer slide?

A 2016 study from the University of Southern California reported that students lost upwards of a full month of learning over the summer vacation. This was particularly noticeable in math and reading. So what can you do to give your child a balanced summer? Here are 6 tips to help your child take a well-deserved break, and encourage continued learning outside of the classroom.

1. Check-in with your teacher – What does your child’s teacher recommend for summer learning? Many teachers have a summer reading list or fun activities that students can do to extend their learning in a fun way
2. Keep a Schedule – While it is tempting to sleep late in the summer, watch out for your child changing their habits too much. Make sure your child has something to do during the day, whether it is an art project, reading goal, or household chores
3. Keep Learning – Help your child set up 15-30 minutes per day where they are learning. This can be anything from a fun science experiment, reading a book, or learning a craft/skill
4. Take Educational Outings – Museums have student-centered learning activities in the summer and really make learning fun! Why not check out the nearest science, art, or history museum and see what’s on the schedule!
5. Read, Read, Read! – Avoid the summer slide by instilling a love for reading. Read before bed, read a comic, read as a family, play a game that involves reading. Studies show that children who read during the summer score upwards of 30-40% higher on fall reading assessments than children who do not read in the summer.

Have Fun!

It’s summer! Go out and play, take a staycation, do something new. Playtime is important for social and emotional development and promotes a healthy body. Take this time to reconnect with family and friends, go out into nature, and celebrate another year of hard work completed.