5 EASY IDEAS TO PROMOTE LEARNING IN THE SUMMER
Do you often wonder how to promote learning in the summer? Summer vacation is a time for fun in the sun, but it’s also an excellent opportunity to continue learning. Here are 5 easy ideas to help promote summer learning for students of all ages.
Did you know 86 percent of public schools in the United States operate on a traditional calendar? Harris Cooper of Duke University stated, “Overall, children experience an average summer learning loss across reading and mathematics of about one month.” There are plenty of opportunities that promote learning on that long summer break. Reading Rockets suggests five categories to think of as you plan: reading, math, writing, playing outside, and doing good deeds.
Here are 5 easy ideas to promote summer learning:
1) Have your kids read books every day.
2) Set up puzzles or games that require logic and reasoning.
3) Make flashcards featuring new vocabulary words.
4) Have your kids do online math problems or writing exercises.
5) Get creative and make up your own learning activities!
Fun Reading in The Summer
Reading four books over the summer at the middle school level has a positive impact on fall reading achievement equivalent to attending summer school. Depending on the child’s age, turn a weekly play date into an age-appropriate book club meeting with snacks and play included. As the parent, you can also read what they are reading. This promotes conversations and opportunities to alternate reading aloud if all are comfortable with that.
Make it fun! Visit the library once a week, let your child wear a cool head lamp to read in bed at night, subscribe to a magazine of their interest, and play games where reading is involved. There are many games available for young readers learning to decode, read high-frequency words, and practice comprehension skills. Here are just a few of the many reading activities from my store:
⭐ Dusty and Friends Coloring and Activity Book is the perfect way to encourage friendship and learning skills over the summer. Also available in a printed paperback from Amazon.com.
⭐ Summer Reading BINGO
⭐ Take a look at this post on fun learning games for any time of year.
Join the Scholastic Summer Reading-a-Palooza, a summer reading program designed to develop lifelong readers.
Daily Math
Recent research shows “the largest summer learning losses for all children happen in mathematical computation, an average of 2.6 months.” Number sense, place value, and computation are the foundation of mathematics. Here are some examples of fun math learning in the summer: (This post contains affiliate links.)
Summer Bridge Activities Workbooks
Poof! Math Game – The Fast-Paced Game of Mental Math Magic
Mathemagical World – Addition and Subtraction Math Board Game for Kids
If you’re taking advantage of traveling, find ways to use math! Use the kid’s interests or surroundings to make up math word problems. Have your child find an analog clock while out and practice telling time or figure out how much change you will get back at the restaurant. Have your child cook summer meals with you and practice fractions with the ingredients. If your child needs a break, have them work through a Sudoku puzzle. There are many levels to work through.
We are in the age now of digital learning. If you want to mix technology in there, here are some excellent sites:
Outside Fun in The Summer
Regular physical activity boosts academic performance and brain functions, such as attention and memory. These brain functions are the foundation for learning. Simple tasks like walking the dog, riding a bike, and walking with family after dinner are perfect! Got a pool? Even better. Let them enjoy that physical activity for at least an hour a day. After all, let the child be a child.
Head outside in search of a butterfly or hard-working ants to combine learning with fresh air. Start a discussion about where these animals live, what they eat, and how they help our ecosystem. Kids headed to camp? They will get plenty of time outside exploring and running around.
Writing
Encourage your child of any age to journal about specific events. Some examples are a birthday party, family BBQ, or a day playing outside. Keep these journals to look back on in the future. Have your child write a weekly letter to their grandparents, relatives, or friends. Kids love to help the family by writing the family’s grocery list. Have the kids make a travel brochure after summer vacation. This could be an opportunity for fun learning in the summer and teaching others about what they experienced during their travels.
Younger children will love using sidewalk chalk to practice writing. Older children will love having a secret pal to write back and forth to.
Good Deeds
According to The Collaborative for Academic Social and Emotional Learning, students learn better and “act out” less when they participate in activities to help in their social-emotional development, such as community service. Your child can help neighbors by watering plants, taking care of pets, etc. Have them donate some unused toys or money earned to a local charity. Volunteer with a local organization or through the church. A new trend is painting kindness rocks and leaving them out in the community to make others smile when they find them. Find what works for your child and build on it!
Check out this post on Summer Reading.
The good thing is that an enormous number of activities make learning fun in the summer, as you can see! Overall, please remember to let them be kids! We all know it goes by so quickly.
🌞 Have a great summer!
P.S. Don’t forget to sign up for my free resources library to get some fun summer printables.