How to Keep Kids Out of the "Summer Slide": 5 Proven Strategies

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The summer is a great time to enjoy the weather and have some fun with friends and family. But as the days get longer, it can also be hard for your kids to stay on track academically. Summer learning loss is a real thing - but you don't have to let them "fall behind" when school starts up again!

​We're going to talk about 5 strategies that will help keep your kids from falling into the dreaded "summer slide."

​First things first:

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​- Ask your child about their summer and what they are looking forward to or do this summer.
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- Plan activities around things that they like, whether it be colors, animals, sports for boys, or anything else. This shows them you care about them as a person and will make finding educational opportunities easier.

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​1. Get your kids outside to play

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​This may seem counterintuitive to the goal of avoiding the "Summer Slide". I promise you that this is extremely important to prevent any resentment from your children as they may feel like they never had a "True" summer if all they do is academic work. They need to be doing activities they enjoy, it might be team sports, camps or just playing with kids in the neighborhood. Getting them outside to feel free and relaxed will allow them to focus later or on the other days, you have academic things planned.

​The summer needs to be a time of compromise to allow the kids a say in what they do in their free time to allow you to get the most out of the academic time you have planned.

2. Have your children reading every day.

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This is something we believe should be going on our entire lives. Read something every day. This is especially important for emerging readers and that transition from 2nd to 3rd grade where they are starting to read to learn and not just learning to read. Kids who don't maintain a good reading habit during summer break can lose ground in their grade level or even fall behind when school starts back up again.

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Kids who have a healthy reading habit during the year tend to read more and improve their vocabulary, grammar, comprehension, and spelling over time. The best way for kids to keep up with this is by continuing to practice these skills through books or even educational apps throughout the vacation period.

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3. Encourage children to use their imagination and creativity through arts and crafts projects

​There is more to summer than just playing at the pool, going to a water park, or watching TV. Encourage your children to play with arts and crafts projects that will encourage creativity such as painting, drawing pictures, or building things from blocks. Keeping their mind engaged and their creativity flowing will help them maintain skills they learned in school that summer. 

​Creativity allows your child to be able to think about problems they are presented with in multiple ways that may not be the way it is taught. Each child is different and your child may need to think about things in a different way for a concept or idea to "click" in their brain. If they are constantly pushing the boundary of the left side of their brain with doing something in the arts it will help them transition to an out-of-the-box solution.

​4. Plan fun activities for the summer that are educational, like visiting museums or going on hikes, or fun classes.

​There are a plethora of online classes that can cater to the interests of your child and are a perfect addition to your routine in the middle of the day heat to allow them a break to recuperate and learn at the same time. Do they like dragons? Then find a class that incorporates reading and dragons. Do they like superheroes? Then maybe they would like a superhero science class. With things opening back up in a lot of areas there are most likely in-person classes or camps available as well.

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Museums often have exhibits that are perfect for kids, especially if they like art or history. They also offer free programming at the museum which is an excellent way to keep your child engaged. Pro-tip; look up what the free or discounted days are and plan ahead. There might even be a bundle option that may work with out-of-town museums or zoos if you are planning a trip over the summer too.

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​Hiking can be a great activity because it gets them outside and teaches about nature while working on both their physical fitness and mental acuity. If you have local state parks or a place with an indoor educational area you can find information on guided walks or more information about the local flora, fauna, geology, and even sometimes the history of the area.

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5. Review with your child's teacher if possible the standards and main things for your child to review before the next school year.

You can do this over email or phone as there is so much going on during the last week of school that it could be hard to set up an in-person meeting. If you do it over email or phone it gives the teacher more time to come up with a thoughtful response and not just something on the spot.

Conclusion paragraph: It’s that time of year again, so let’s start looking forward to the fun days ahead. The best way for your kids to have a happy and successful summer is by ensuring they are well-rounded in their education. Have you reviewed what standards or main things your child should review before the next school year? Reviewing with his/her teacher will ensure he/she has all necessary information about upcoming material and assignments as well as knowing when it's time to do work right away! What's on the horizon this summer for your family? What areas can we help you with today?

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​Trammell Classes is an online school that uses interest-based learning to teach children in grades K-12.  Trammell Classes provides a safe, secure environment for your child to explore their interests and learn at their own pace. Trammell classes provides a way for children to experience interest-based learning and homeschooling online. The ultimate goal of Trammell classes is to help kids get interested in learning again!

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