You’ve heard of a summer body, but what about the summer brain?!?
On average, students lose 2.5 months of mathematical skills and 2 months of reading skills over the summer break. Our brains are a muscle; if we want to be healthy and fit, we must exercise. In much the same way, if our kids are going to stay on track academically over the summer, they must exercise their brains!
“Summer slide is the phrase used to describe the slide backwards that many children make in reading and math skills over the summer. It’s possible for a child to regress 2-3 months back in terms of reading level, meaning they could start school in September at the same reading level they were at in April of the previous year. Summer slide can happen to even the brightest kids, and it doesn’t need to be over a long period of time – even a couple of weeks away from school can soften skills. “ (www.marinlibrary.org)
Academics are no different than a sport or hobby: if you want to get better, you must practice!
Four Ways to Sidestep the Summer Slide
- Local libraries have a multitude of free programs that encourage reading and support kids as they move through various reading-levels and genres.
Cooking is a great way to keep math and reading skills sharp! Kids must measure, plan and follow directions to successfully navigate cooking! Added bonus: this is a great way to spend time with them! - Keeping a journal or a blog can be an efficient method for keeping kids engaged and reading and writing during the summer. Added bonus: a great way to chronicle and memorialize your summer break!
- Set a timer and read for at least 25 minutes a day. The content does not matter: we want kids to be captivated and enjoy reading
- Gardening or another hands-on project can be a fun way to both keep reading skills and, depending on the project, math skills, fresh. Take a walk around your house or yard or neighborhood and identify a problem or something that needs fixing. Kids of all ages love having a project that they can control and that has tangible results.
True academic work is also a method to avoid the summer learning loss. If your school doesn’t provide a summer homework packet, take a look at the Summer Bridge workbooks for short, fun daily assignments.
Written by our Atlanta City Manager, Jennifer Spick who plans to put her ideas into practice with her own two boys this summer. She points out that another great idea is to bring in In-Home Tutors to keep up your child’s skills. We have great tutors available to work with your student in your home on your own schedule. Call us at 770-645-8750 and ask about our summer tutoring specials!