Summer break is one of the most exciting times to be a kid; a time to forget about the most demanding part of life– school. But does a summer break without learning really help children in the long run? A report pointed out that, on average, children forget the last month of learning from the previous school year, with some areas reporting a greater loss of 25-30% of the learning of that same year! The greatest loss of learning was measured to be in math rather than in reading or other subjects. But what if that doesn’t have to be the case? Instead of reviewing or catching up at the beginning of the next school year, why not start moving forward? This is not to say that children should be doing homework instead of playing all summer long (playing is often one of the best ways to learn!); there are plenty of ways to reinforce what children learned and prepare them for the next school year while also having fun. The great thing about learning is that it can take place anywhere.
A great place to begin is on this site to know what your child has already learned in his or her school year that just ended. Once you know where they are at with their knowledge, you can tweak any activity in or out of the home to reinforce their learning.
To start with math, the subject that loses the most during summer, there are several ways to practice what they learned during the school year. Why not try a new recipe and have your child read over the instructions if they just learned about measuring? If they learned how to add or subtract fractions, you can also double or half the recipe. Math books that supply puzzles and fun riddles for children to solve are also a great way to learn and reinforce math skills (you can find a couple of good math book ideas on this page).
Setting aside time to read each day is a sure way to strengthen reading abilities. Take a trip to the library to find a new book for your child to discover. Does your child enjoy games? Find a fun word search or crossword puzzles to do during the day. Encourage your child to find the definition for each new word, and make a game out of it!
Other ways that may be a little less conventional are field trips and science experiments. Field trips to museums, landmarks, or other historical sites are a sure way to keep learning throughout summer with a bit of adventure. Read aloud the plaques describing art pieces or landmarks with your children. How many years has it been since the event happened? Do the math! Is your child fascinated with science? Read about famous experiments that changed the course of history (many books can be found according to different reading levels at libraries and bookstores). Find an easy science experiment to do at home, on our Pinterest page, or by searching online, and have your child come with you to read off the instructions and materials you will need.
