Summer Learning Ideas to Halt Summer Slide

Our school year won’t end until June 23rd which makes my kids and I think that we are the last to finish school this year. Hence, my summer learning plans are a little late in the making this year.

My two teen girls are away most of the summer. Grasshopper and Sensei will do a six-week Pre-College summer session at the Rhode Island School of Design. She has some assigned books to read for AP English next fall where she will be a Junior in high school, and she will enter some art competitions.

PickyKidPix did not read enough this past school year while in 8th grade. She’s going to try to read five books this summer.

Book 1:

Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown

She’s a coxswain and this book comes highly recommended by her 10th grade friend Jess.

Book 2:

Completely Clementine by Sara Pennypacker, illustrated by Marla Frazee

She loved these books in elementary school and wants to read every new one. It’s her easy fun read.

Book 3:

Zac and Mia by A. J. Betts

Her sister recommends it. It’s similar to A Fault in Our Stars by John Green.

Book 4:

Flawed by Cecelia Ahern

She chose this book from the bookstore.

Book 5:

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

This is another book that she selected.

She also needs to review multiplication and division math facts. She’s actually very strong in math but her math facts are too slow. Finally, she’s been working on SAT vocabulary cards.

My son will start 6th grade next year. He’ll complete Daily Word Problems, 6th grade; the last book in the series. He’s done one book each summer. He will also work on Summer Bridge Activities, 5 to 6.

My kids’ summer learning plans might not match up to your kids. I’d like to share some great tips from Learning Heroes and Laura Bay, National PTA President, for summer learning ideas for your kids.

• Bring Homeroom Home: Use the extra spare time to incorporate learning into non-school days in a playful way. Start a book club for your entire household or use these fun math worksheets organized by grade level to incentivize upcoming outings or cool down at the end of a hot day.

• Keep It Social: To make sure the dog days don’t leave you out of the loop on new friends and influences, ask your child at least one open-ended question about their social lives per day (“Who did you eat lunch with today?” and “What did you do at the pool?”). Research tells us that adults are often the last to know about problems like bullying, and making sure peer relationships are part of your regular conversations at home will help you notice potential issues early.

• Start a College Conversation: One of the most powerful things parents can do to improve their child’s chances for success in college is simply to talk about it! Your child may be thinking more about water balloons and ice cream trucks, but don’t be deterred. Take a day trip to a nearby college and have a picnic on the lawn. Encourage them to talk to their camp counselors or coaches about where they went to school. You’ll learn more about what interests them, all while laying the groundwork for a solid academic future.