Worried About Your Child Having a Summer Slide? Here Are 3 Ways to Ensure That Doesn’t Happen

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With summer break around the corner, kids are surely looking forward to being outdoors and having fun with friends. But, summer breaks can be a challenging time for parents, as they try to avoid their child experiencing a “summer slide.” If you’re a parent who is already feeling the heat of the upcoming vacation season, don’t fret, as in this article by Dillon Public Library, we’ll explore a host of useful ideas and strategies to keep kids entertained and active throughout the summer.

1. Participate in Summer Programs at Local Libraries

Every summer local libraries host a range of programs for students. Reading programs are one of the more popular ones, where kids can visit the library to improve their reading and comprehension skills. While at the library, parents can help their child create a reading list to be completed over the summer, which significantly reduces the chances of experiencing a summer slide i.e. losing some part of academic gains during the summer months, owing to the lack of classes or revision of topics they’ve learned over the past academic year, according to Scholastic. Books serve as excellent sources of education during the summer season when there are no classes.

Additionally, libraries also host family and entertainment events which can include arts and crafts, carnival games, magic shows, community collaborations, and more. These events can also serve as socialization activities for parents and kids alike. Learning how to make friends is a key skill every child needs to learn, according to Raising Kids Network. Strong interpersonal skills will prove beneficial once they enter college and then make their way into a professional setting.

2. Create Educational Worksheets

Creating educational worksheets is another great way for parents to help their kids avoid a summer slide. However, you’ll need to create worksheets that are both fun and challenging and make kids use their cognitive thinking skills to complete them. These worksheets can serve as a great medium to recap key concepts of the past academic year, especially in subjects such as math and science.

While there are plenty of free tools you can use to create, check this one out as it is the best. It provides a range of templates that can be used to create worksheets for most subjects. Additionally, rather than providing your child a plain white worksheet that represents an exam, you can personalize the document with their favorite colors and even add images of cartoons, performers, musicians, and more as a way to entice them to interact with the content.

3. Spend Time in the Great Outdoors

In addition to being an enjoyable activity, spending time in nature during the summer can serve as a great learning experience for kids as well. For instance, your child is bound to have learned about natural ecosystems such as forests, rivers, etc. through their classes. Taking them for a camping trip at a national park, using the Library’s Backpack Program, can prove to be the perfect way to help them put their learning to use.

Nature walks and hikes, using local resources from the library, serve as great opportunities for kids to observe and inquire about the world around them. During a hike, they’re bound to ask questions regarding plants, insects, and animals they encounter and learn about their behaviors and characteristics. Some of these learnings will never be included in their books, however, through this experience, they’ll develop a holistic understanding of nature and the world around them.

With the school break quickly approaching, parents need to take the right steps to avoid their child experiencing a summer slide. Participating in activities at a local library will help kids improve their reading, writing, and socialization skills. Additionally, while at home, kids can be provided with educational worksheets to recap key concepts from the previous academic year. Finally, summer will never be complete without spending some quality time outdoors, where kids can learn from their senses, refresh their minds and be ready to go for the next academic term.