Every summer, kids lose up to ⅓ of the knowledge they gained the previous school year. This “summer slide” sets kids up to feel behind before the school year even starts. The things you do over the summer can help make or break the way the school year starts. If you want your child to be set up to succeed next school year, here are some things you can do to help them stay school-ready all summer long:
Tips to Prevent the Summer Slide and Stay School-Ready
#1: Read!
Reading is one of the best ways to keep your brain active outside the context of school. Whether it’s a formal summer reading program through your child’s school or your local library, or your own plan, the important thing is that reading has a central place in your summer family goals.
Especially if your child struggles with reading, maintaining their momentum through the summer months can help them get ahead before next school year.
If your child is resistant to summer reading, some of the things you can do to help make it more fun include:
- Setting (and celebrating) weekly goals. Have a treat planned on the weekend after a successful week of reading! These goals should be challenging but achievable, and you can tailor them to your child’s age and skill level.
- Make it routine. Set aside an hour daily that is “reading hour.” Your child will be less likely to fight it when they know it’s coming. (Pssst… you should do it with them, too 😉 )
- Make it a family effort. Set your own reading goals as well! The more your child sees you reading the more open they will likely be to trying it, too (and they’ll love holding you accountable!)
- Be intentional with book choices. Pick things that are appropriate level (not too hard or too easy), on a topic your kid is interested in, or something that is fast-paced or funny. Summer reading is the time to develop a love for reading—not to force them through dry texts they have no investment in.
#2: Keep a Summer Journal
The ability to remember what you did during the day and put it into words is a great way to subtly practice some school skills this summer. Have your child practice skills like storytelling, sentence writing, or paragraph structure (depending on their age) in this low-pressure setting. If you have younger kids, it can even be as simple as drawing a picture and writing just a couple words to summarize the day!
#3: Schedule Family Game Night
Playing games as a family is one of the best ways to keep the brain active. We know how easy it is to fall into patterns of movie nights in the summer, but instead, pop some popcorn and pull out a few games once a week!
Games are one of the best ways to strengthen cognitive skills in your child. You can pick ones that target processing speed, attention, memory, reading skills, or any other area where your child is weak. But beyond this, family game night builds connections, stability, and memories within your family in a way that is fun.
#4: Use Independent Workbooks and Puzzles for Down Time and Travel
Grabbing some age-appropriate materials your child can use during any down time is a great way to keep your child school-ready (and provide an alternative to screen time).
Things like sudoku, crossword puzzles, logic grid puzzles, grade-level summer workbooks, or even old-fashioned jigsaw puzzles can help pass time and keep your child’s brain active! We also love some solo logic games (like this one) for travel.
Many kids resort to TV or tablets out of boredom, but if you establish patterns in your home over the summer of having these things available, you may be surprised how often your kids pick them up!
#5: Exercise Your Brain!
You know how important physical exercise is for your body, but did you know that brain exercise is just as vital?
Each of the things we’ve mentioned is a way to activate your “brain muscle” in a way that is outside of school contexts. However, many of us can benefit from a more targeted approach.
When you have a muscle strain or you really want to grow the strength of a particular area of your body, who do you go to? Likely, it’s a personal trainer. These are people who take the time to get to know your struggles and goals and help you find a way to achieve them.
What we do is the same: we take a look at the cognitive skills that can use some improvement and help you create a plan that targets those weak areas so you experience the best possible results.
For many of our clients, this means:
- Improved reading skills (by 3+ years on average)
- Better attention
- Stronger memory
- Greater ability to reason and problem-solve
- Increased confidence and willingness to try new things
If your child is struggling, the summer is a great time to get to the root cause and discover targeted ways to help them succeed. Contact our center today to learn more!
