Summer sliding may just make you think of waterparks and backyard slip-n-slides, but the “summer slide” I’m referring to is about your child’s success in the classroom. In a recent study, it was proven that children lose about 25% of their school year learning over the summer. As a mom and a teacher, that is a concerning statistic. I want to help my children continue to grow and learn throughout the sweltering summer months. If you do too, I’ve got three easy steps for you to follow.
- Acknowledge It
You have probably heard of the “summer slide,” and the academic regression that happens to most kids over summer. Once the end of the school year hits, if you are like me, you are so excited to have a break from daily homework that the summer slide is the last thing on your radar. However, as with any bad habit, the first step to fixing it is to, “admit it IS a problem.” Does that mean your kiddos (and you) can’t take a break from reading, math, and fighting about schoolwork? Of course not! I’m just here to tell you, as a mom and a professional educator, the slide is real and ignoring it…hoping it will just go away…is not your best approach to preventing it.
- Summer Bridge Books for the WIN
If you are not familiar with the Summer Bridge Book series, you definitely should be. It features a book for each grade level (K-8), that creatively reviews the most important concepts from the previous school year and begins to introduce the most important concepts for the upcoming school year. Each book is developmentally appropriate and designed for students to spend about 15 minutes per day completing. Each book is a mix of reading, writing, math, and grammar. The pages are colorful and the work is anything but monotonous. From taking the guesswork out of the best ways to keep skills sharp over the summer, to making summer learning fun, these books are the BEST!
- Celebrate the Hard Work
In my house and at my business, we are all about setting goals and rewarding the achievement of those goals. The efforts to stop the “summer slide,” are a perfect opportunity to teach your children the value of setting goals, working hard, and enjoying the rewards. I’m also a huge advocate for supporting the many local, female-owned businesses in the valley. If you purchase your child’s Summer Bridge Book from Kidstop Toys and Books (resist the temptation to Amazon Prime), your child is eligible for some amazing prizes. For completing the majority of the book before the start of school, your child can exchange their book for 25% off any toy of their choice. Even better, if they complete the entire book, your child can exchange the book for 50% off any toy. Some call it bribery, I call it inspiration. If you haven’t shopped at Kidstop, you are truly missing out. Their unique toys put Amazon to shame.
This recipe is simple to execute and will certainly set your child up for a confident start to the upcoming school year. If you recognize that doing nothing all summer is not a great option for your child and purchase the Summer Bridge book, but still feel inadequate, remember that summer tutoring is powerful. Advantage Tutoring would love to come alongside you and your child to help prevent that summer slide with a customized, private summer program.
