The Summer Slide: Ideas for Preschool and Elementary Aged Children
Unfortunately the summer slide doesn't refer to some awesome ride at the local amusement park. (insert winky and nerd emojis here.) The summer slide refers to lost learning over the summer months, and IT IS REAL. Research has proven that children, by the end of summer, are an ENTIRE MONTH behind where they left off the previous school year. (Rand Education, Making Summer Count, 2011.) Can you believe that? It's pretty daunting to think about as a parent, and also frustrating to think about from a teacher's perspective. Teachers work extraordinarily hard during the academic school year to insure ALL children achieve goals. Listen, there is nothing I love more than lazy summer days (which, let's be honest, don't exist for us parents) but I also carve out time for learning over the summer months. It doesn't have to be boring and tedious or feel 'too academic' for kids. Here are a few ideas:
*A Summer journal*
From the time my oldest was 4 she has done summer journals. At first it was just barely legible "writing" and drawings, but eventually it evolved to illustrations I could actually understand, and included perhaps a letter or two written on the page. You can also serve as "scribe" for your children, where you write the story your child dictates to you. Not only is this activity helpful to keep the summer slide at bay, but it is also a wonderful keepsake of summer family memories that can be cherished. I'm excited to start this with my 4 year old this summer and see where it takes her. (Aim for at least 3 days a week)
*Read* (obvi)
-The local library is one of my favorite places. We go at least once a week, and sometimes more. It's a great rainy day activity for summer or a welcome respite from 100 degree heat and awful humidity. I don't usually put a limit on how many books we take out at a time, as long as they fit in the bag the library lends out. I don't limit genre, reading level, length, etc. Let kids read whatever they want. If it is above their reading level, read it to them. If it is below, use it as a tool to work on expression and fluency, or have your child read those books to younger siblings....or even a pet. It is also really important that your children see you enjoying books as well. Set up a time for quiet reading, for you and your kids, as often as you can. Hey, you might even FINALLY get to finish that book you are supposed to read for your book club. ;) (Aim for 5 days a week, 20 minutes a day)
-Another option I love is listening to audio books on long car trips. Our library has the Libby App, which connects you to a whole digital library, as long as you link your library card. My kids enjoy exploring all of the ebooks and audio books and, of course, love the instant gratification they get from seeing it pop up immediately on my phone.
-If you are feeling super motivated, have your children add a section in their summer journal to provide written response to text. They can write about the books they read: their favorite character, favorite part, a new ending to the book, a different solution to the problem, or a book review. Higher level thinking for the win!
*Math Games*
-I love dice. We have loads of them, and they can be used in so many ways. For the younger ones they can roll one die, say the number, find it on a flashcard, then write it. As they get older use two or three dice and add and the numbers together. Make it a race to see which player can add the numbers faster and keep a tally to see who wins. Kids love when learning is turned into a competition.
-Dig in the old coin jar and work with money. (Nickels are great for counting by 5's and dimes for counting by 10's.) Add and subtract amounts of money or choose different coins to make the same value. It's a fun game to play with kids...how many ways can you make 50 cents, for example.
-Use a deck of playing cards and play war addition. For example if you throw out a 5 and your child throws out 10, whoever says 15 first keeps the cards. Assign numbers for jacks, queens, kings and aces, for example, 11, 12, 13, 14.
-Have preschool aged children count out goldfish or cheerios for snacks
-Use beads or buttons for adding and subtracting within 10 for the little ones.
The options are endless, and I could really go on forever, but simplicity is key! The most important thing is to enjoy your summer months with your family, but carve out a little time a few days a week to focus on learning through fun. This way, you can feel confident that the only summer slide your child will experience is the one at the playground.
P.S. If you have a preschooler, check out the 'shop' page on my site to order a preschool enrichment kit. You could fill an entire summer of learning with what is provided, all while giving your child a leg up when it comes to entering Kindergarten in September.
