As an adult, three months blows by. But when you’re 10, summer seems like an eternity -- which means that once your kiddo is getting back into the classroom, all those new math formulas and spelling words are long forgotten. Obviously or discretely, you can slip a little extra learning into the summer. It can be the standard organized educational experience, or little ways to make summer learning fun (and get in some quality bonding time). Here’s a look at 5 ways to prevent summer learning loss.
Real World Learning
Learning doesn’t have to entail sitting down with a text book and working through word problems. Show your child all the different ways you use the things you learned. Teach him how to balance a checkbook, or put him in charge of adding the dollars during your weekly grocery shopping. Work on fractions by making cookies, get a horticulture lesson by planting a garden, or take an hour three times a week to engage in some creative writing prompts. Even if it doesn’t directly pertain to the previous or upcoming school years’ curriculum, it’s a better than sitting in front of the TV all summer.
Private Tutoring
You can hire someone who has experience in tutoring to work with your child a few hours each week (or day, depending on how dedicated you and/or your young one are to the task). You can also set aside 15 minutes every day and be your kids’ own private tutor. Work a sheet of math problems together, read a chapter from a book and diagram the sentences, or do a science experiment (you are never too old to blow up a volcano). Keeping the things your child learned the year before fresh in her mind will help her transition into the new school year more easily.
Educational Trips
Although often more difficult to access in smaller towns, there are tons of institutions designed to teach; art or science museums, renaissance fairs, civil war reenactments. Check out your local tourist attractions for fun ways to get out of the house and learn something new. For cheaper options, head to the lake and get an anatomy lesson about the animals and plants that live there. Check out your community garden, planetarium, farmers’ market, zoo, or even factories that give how-it’s-made tours (candy stores or bakeries often offer these activities). The library, in particular, is a great place to not only check out books (even silly fictional stories can be helpful), but many offer “summer camps” for kids.
Summer School
Summer schools tends to get a stigma that it’s for the kids who couldn’t pass their classes. But summer schools can be so much more than that. If your child’s school doesn’t offer summer classes or programs, check out options like the National Summer Learn Association (NSLA). Their goal is to offer ways to close the learning loss gap, particularly for low income families. Certain summer camps may also offer a great way to get involved in group learning or classes.
Online Learning
For parents that work or are on a tight budget, weekly trips to costly museums or enrolling in summer camps aren’t always an option. You have one very important combative tool in your arsenal -- the internet. Whether the two of you are looking up DIY projects to make a robot or reading articles about how to make cheese, you can learn just about anything from the internet (and it is a great opportunity to teach your kid about good sources!). Some organizations even offer virtual tours so you can visit an art museum without even leaving the house.
Many schools put videos up to engage kids who aren’t at school. Depending on what subjects you are looking at, you may even find material to start a summer “class” for your child to work through on his own time. Whether its time or money causing the problem, the internet can provide your kids with a way to engage in almost every single activity already mentioned.
