Summer slide happens every year to students. The debate to prevent this goes on. Many schools give students homework to be completed and given to the next teacher. Other schools give a summer reading list to students. Schools handle summer programs differently. However, students need to keep learning, no matter what.
Before schools let out for the summer, schools should encourage parents to focus on strengthening a student’s weaknesses. The summer causes students to forget much of the learning during the school year. Therefore, students need to stay focused on what they learned.
- If assigned a task for the summer, do it immediately.
- Activities that require discipline, structure, and following directions keep students focused on skills.
- Read – Read – Read. English writer Joseph Addison said: “Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.” Students improve memory and imagination through reading daily.
- Math – Math – Math. This does not mean worksheets. Math is everywhere outside and through game playing.
- Create a daily schedule. There was a schedule in the classroom, there should be a schedule during the summer to stimulate the brain. An effective schedule reduces stress. Therefore, a routine leads to better mental health.
- Include ‘fun’ in the daily routine.
In many areas, reading skills improve over the summer. This is because students read over the summer. However, they do not use their math skills. Thus, math scores usually suffer during the summer break. This is because many math skills require rote learning,
Summer Slide Skills
Use the summer to teach students life skills. The outside area offers many opportunities for students to take a nature walk or garden. This builds math and science skills.
Sports such as swimming, baseball, soccer, etc. help students build listening skills, discipline, patience, teamwork, and positive thinking. In the words of Vince Lombardi, “Life’s battles don’t always go to the stronger or faster man. But sooner or later, the man who wins is the man who thinks he can.”
Many camps for students build skills such as leadership, resilience, sportsmanship, and decision-making. Summer is the time to focus on putting together the many skills they learned during the school year and to develop life skills they will use forever.
