Two words can help prevent learning loss this summer: enrichment and involvement. Academic delay that occurs over the summer is one of the greatest problems confronting teachers each fall. In fact, when children return to school, they may have experienced such learning loss during the summer, that they need to spend several weeks catching up to where they once were academically. Parents or guardians who stay involved and vigilant for those teachable moments over summer vacation can bond with their children and have a lot of fun learning together.
For Teachers:
- Give each of your students a stamped, addressed postcard so they can write to you about their summer adventures.
- Recycle partially used school notebooks and paper into summer journals or scrapbooks for students to take home.
- Create a print out of the following activities that parents, guardians, or babysitters can carry out over the summer or during any school break.
For Parents, Guardians, or Caregivers:
- Have your children watch TV occasionally with the sound off and closed captioning on.
- Ask your child to assist the adult grocery shopper in the home by helping to write up the grocery list and then finding the list items in the grocery store.
- Ask your child to read a recipe out loud for the adult who is doing the cooking at home.
- Take your children on a “book-nic” (literacy-themed picnic) that includes reading together while enjoying the outdoors.
- Make your next visit to a restaurant an interactive learning experience by asking your children to read some of the menu items out loud.
- Turn household chores into math learning opportunities (record the length of time to clean up a bedroom, or count the number or types of dishes unloaded from the dishwasher, etc.)
- Paying for small chores around the house can give your children the opportunity to save money, count the money, and plan to buy something special at the end of the summer.
- Watch a cooking show together with your child and then try together to recreate what has been cooked or baked.
It’s important for young students to relax and have fun during their summer break. However, it’s equally important for them to continue learning and applying what they learned during the school year, every day.