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Is your child slipping?
Over the summer, your kids will be on water slides, park slides, and Slip-n-Slides BUT one slide you’ll definitely want them avoiding is the SUMMER SLIDE! The summer is a great time for kids to let loose, relax, and debrief from the long months of school leading up to vacation; however, a vacation from school does not mean a vacation from learning.
The summer slide describes the slide backward that many children make in reading skills over the summer. It makes sense, right? Your student will go from practicing reading and writing skills every day to two months of video games and television. It is estimated that teachers spend the first 6 weeks back to school re-teaching material from the year before. By simply reading for just 2-3 hours a week, students can combat any learning loss.
What can you do to help beat the summer slide?
Read Everyday
Find a good series of reading level appropriate books to keep your children engaged and entertained. With each of Carole Marsh’s mystery novels, your child can learn advanced vocabulary words, history and culture, and tons of educational facts and they’ll have fun doing it! This is the simplest way for your child to stay ahead come autumn and, who knows, they could love the stories and want to read all summer.
Subscribe to a Magazine!
There are tons of age-appropriate magazines for students. Magazines usually take a few days to read through so they offer loads of fun and activities to keep your child learning and occupied. Additionally, there is a bit of thrill when mail comes with your name on it. Your student will love getting mail sent their way.
Journal!
There is no wrong way to journal! Take your child to the store to pick out their very own notebook to write in. Encourage your child to write down whatever comes to mind each day. This can include daily events, highs and lows of the day, drawings, or any other forms of self-expression. Additionally, you as a parent can set the tone by getting a journal and writing in it daily, as well.
Cook Together!
Nobody said that reading meant books exclusively! Let your child be in charge of reading recipes out loud to you during dinner prep, it could be great fun and they’ll build both culinary and reading skills (both are very valuable).
Day trips!
Head out to local museums or galleries for a day trip. Look for museums with hands-on activities or scavenger hunts! Typically, an activity only costs a few extra dollars and help to keep everyone on the search for clues at each exhibit. Exhibits change every couple of weeks so, if all goes well, go again!
Play board games!
There are TONS of board game instructions online for you and your family to make up your own games! Let each child make up a few rules and write them out. Play the game all summer and keep making new rules so the fun never ends.
By dedicating time each day to maintaining reading and writing skills, your student will thrive when the school year commences. Reading just 5 books over the summer will keep your child in the habit of learning.