Did you Know Students Can Lose 15% of Their Academic Skills Over the Summer?

It’s almost that time of year again! If you are the parent of a school-aged child, you know what I’m talking about. Your kids can feel it, taste it, and almost touch it -we are a mere two months away from that long-awaited time of year known as summer vacation! Three glorious months filled with lazy afternoons spent poolside without a care in the world. I mean, September couldn’t be further off the radar screen. And that summer math packet and those reading assignments – well that’s what the last week of August is for!

While visions of a relaxing summer vacation may be what your kids need in order to drudge through these last weeks of school, don’t let them put the kibosh on all summer learning just yet. Studies show that students lose about two months of grade level skills when they completely abandon academics over the summer. To avoid playing catch up in September, incorporate learning into a fun summer schedule.

So how can you incorporate learning into summer fun?

• Planning a vacation this summer? Have your child write a journal entry about the trip! – What are they most looking forward to? Are you visiting a new place or an old favorite?
• Spend the day visiting museums in DC – With so much history right in our backyard, play tourist for the day and explore the landmarks!
• Schedule a weekly family game night with favorites like Scrabble and Bananagrams
• Introduce a new “word of the day” – Each day, have your child select a new word from the dictionary. Read the meaning aloud and incorporate the new word into conversations throughout the day. What a wonderful way to boost vocabulary skills!

Have a struggling reader or a student resistant to math? Summer is a wonderful time to work with a tutor to boost skills. Regular practice will have your child reading and reciting math facts in no time! And, enrichment support will help keep even the most curious learners feeling challenged throughout the summer. Either way, be sure to keep it light and fun. Incorporate games and outdoor activities as part of summer learning. Kids will be excited to learn this summer if activities are engaging and hands on.

If you’re the parent of an older child, you know those summer packets are coming! Help your child set up a schedule for completion. By parsing out tasks over the summer, even the most daunting of assignments will feel manageable. Kids will see they have plenty of time for both fun and academics this summer. Tutors and coaches can help with this too, especially if your son or daughter is resistant to help from you!

After all, come August, wouldn’t you rather enjoy those last precious days of summer rather than scramble to complete those summer assignments?

There are plenty of activities kids can do over the summer to keep their academics sharp. Make sure your kids don't wait until the last minute to complete their summer reading and assignments!