Summer is upon us, the kids are getting out of school and that means a lot of fun, but also a ton of free time for the kids! While I do believe summer should be fun and it is a vacation for the kids from school, I also know that kids can be at risk for what’s called summer slip or summer learning loss. Statistics show that an average student loses 2 months of reading and math skills over the summer.
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Summer Learning Loss Prevention Schedule
Summer learning loss, aka summer slide, can be prevented by following a simple summer learning schedule. Having your children spend just one hour a day will prevent summer slide and have them prepared for school in the fall. I have created an easy to follow schedule that hits all the major subjects. I have also included a tracking chart that can be used to track how many days your child did their summer learning. You can tie this to small rewards to make it more fun for your child. Things like an ice cream treat if you completed all the days in a week, or a fun outing if your child completed 75% of the month’s work. (As a bonus have them figure out what 75% would be!) Just click on the graphic below to get your free summer learning schedule and tracking sheets. Keep reading for resources in each of the subjects, Reading, Writing, Math, Science, Spelling, and Art.
Reading Resources
Reading is key to educational development and preventing the summer slide. That’s why reading is included every day on the summer learning schedule above. Make sure to get books your child likes, even if you don’t like what they are reading or you think it may be too easy or hard for him/her. This will help alleviate any struggle to get your kids to read. To keep them interested, make trips to the local library. This is always a fun field trip for the kids and they get to change books at no cost to you! Many libraries also have incentive programs for the kids. If they read so many books over the summer, they get a coupon book or something similar. Make sure to check with your local library to find out what incentive programs they might have.
The Scholastic website has some great resources to keep your kids reading, and their prices on books are usually pretty good.
http://www.scholastic.com/home/
Math Resources
There are plenty of free math resources on the web. Here are a few of my favorite, if you just want to print worksheets. Make sure to choose worksheets that are challenging for your child, but not so hard that they get discouraged.
http://www.k5learning.com/free-math-worksheets
https://www.homeschoolmath.net/worksheets/
https://www.education.com/worksheets/math/
If you don’t want to go through the trouble of printing out worksheets and have it already done and in one place, here are a few of my favorite math workbooks. As I mentioned above choose the grade level based on your child and what they need. Do they need a review, then get them the grade that they just finished. Does your child need to be challenged, then get them a workbook for the grade they will be going into.
Grade 1 Math Workbook Grade 2 Math Workbook Grade 3 Math Workbook
Grade 4 Math Workbook Grade 5 Math Workbook Grade 6 Math Workbook
Writing Resources
Writing can be fun and enjoyable for kids if you help spark their imagination. This can be done on a computer or on paper and I would encourage you to incorporate both in the summer learning schedule. Below you will find a printable list of writing prompts that will spark your kids’ imagination and make writing easy for your kids.
Science Resources
Science is one of those subjects that can be intimidating to parents who don’t have a background in STEM. But these experiences are really important for all kids. Luckily there are many ready to go science experiment kits out there to help you out. If you want to do science experiments yourself here are some great websites with easy to do experiments.
https://www.education.com/activity/science/
https://sciencebob.com/category/experiments/
If you want to purchase science kits, that are easy to use, you can find my Science Idea List here.
Spelling Resources
Spelling is crucial in education, but it seems not much emphasis is placed on it in school. Since using computers is so prevalent in schools, kids are relying more on spell checkers than ever before. I believe it is super important for kids to be able to spell as it helps with phonetic awareness and as a consequence reading at higher levels. As with the math resources, there are free resources and workbooks you can purchase. I will list the free resources first and then follow with links to grade-specific workbooks.
http://www.k5learning.com/spelling-worksheets
http://www.k12reader.com/spelling-worksheets/
https://www.education.com/worksheets/spelling/
Grade 1 Spelling Workbook Grade 2 Spelling Workbook Grade 3 Spelling Workbook
Grade 4 Spelling Workbook Grade 5 Spelling Workbook
Art Resources
Art is an important part of education. Some kids like art and some kids don’t, but being creative is what fuels innovation. This can also be a boredom buster. Encourage your kids to get creative with items you can find around the house. This doesn’t need to be limited to drawing or coloring with crayons. You can use play dough, beads, string, popsicle sticks, toilet paper tubes, glue, and many other items. I encourage you to go to the dollar store and just pick up random items and have your kids get creative with what’s in front of them. You can also use rocks and paint, this seems to be a big trend right now, and can make your garden look pretty in the process.
Summer Learning Loss Conclusion
I hope you have found some resources to help you keep your kids engaged in learning throughout the summer. You will find going back to school in the fall easier if you stick to a schedule. But remember to make it fun, maybe take a day off the schedule to visit a museum, or a historic site. It is all about keeping them engaged. If you have any other ideas please let me know in the comments below! Happy Summer!
