Summer Slippage and How you can prevent it

Summer Slippage and How you can prevent it

Have you heard of the summer slide, summer slippage or summer slump?

As a parent, how can you prevent it?

I remember the last day of school as a major celebration.  It felt like freedom. There was also a definite sense of accomplishment, the ending of one year and all the learning that went with it so I would be able to enter the next.

Each year, when we returned in September, we spent a lot of time reviewing what we had done the previous year.  This frustrated me. I remembered what we had done and “put that year behind me.” I was ready to learn the new year.

I had not realized until I became a teacher and had children of my own how many children suffer from summer slippage or the summer slump, forgetting a lot of what they have learned over an extended break.

In addition to the students who are “right where they should be” and will experience a slump over the break, there are students who were having difficulty in school.  There are some parents who feel their children are slipping through the cracks and need a little extra help.  What can a parent do to help their child?

I am so thrilled to help you, this is what I love to do and am very passionate about.  I had two kinds of kiddos: the one who needed to be challenged and the one who was polite in class so the teachers never realized he needed some help. Before too long, my polite kiddo was slipping.

Establish a routine

It is the summer, we are supposed to be taking a break.  I know.  However, consistency, like cash, is king.  I recommend it be a morning routine.  You do not have to start early! If everyone knows that everyday they are responsible for specific things before the day of fun, adventures, “screen time,” trips to camps/friends/etc, begins it is easy to get in the routine.

This routine is not meant to be arduous.  It is great because it can be individualized for different ages.  If you like “chore charts” you can have one set up for each child.  They can include items like “brush teeth” “wash face” “feed & water pet” etc. 

If everyone makes their own breakfast, have this on the morning routine as well as putting their breakfast items and dishes away.

Take this short, but fun and informative quiz!

Which animal represents your child?
What does this say about what your child needs?

• A 5 question quiz
• 12 different outcomes
• A free gift to help get you started based on your child’s academic, creative or emotional need
• Detailed explanation of the animal and the characteristics that manifest in your child so you can interpret them differently

TAKE QUIZ

Read

Oh my, every single article you have read on the topic of summer slump says the same darn thing: read.  I attribute my academic success to the fact that I was a voracious reader.

Add reading time to that morning routine.  Have everyone in the entire household read for 30 minutes each morning.  If you have “littles” you can read to them during that time.  If you have a really reluctant reader, try an audio book and have them follow along with the book in print.  You can also read one chapter out loud and have them read the next chapter.

How do you get ‘buy in’ from the kiddos to read?  This can be tough if you have a child who really does not like reading.  Try the tactics mentioned in the previous paragraph.  Also, if you have the ability, go to a used bookstore or thrift store that has a good selection of children’s books.  In our town, one of our used books stores has a great middle school/teen section while one of the thrift stores has an excellent children’s section.  Our library also has a section called, “Friends of the Library” where they sell books. Have this be one of your excursions and the child can pick any book they want and you will buy it for them. 

We did this once a week.

As an aside, I did this in the fruit section at the grocery store too. The children could not have the sugar cereals, candy bars, etc, but any fruit they found interesting I would buy for them.  I wanted to encourage healthier eating.

Intentional Conversation

The summer is made for excursions, family meet ups, hang outs with friends, camps, new adventures and so much more.  Regularly talk with your child about the many things that they are doing.

Ask them how they like something, for example, “That was a new place we went to on our hike, did you like it?”  Let them talk.  You are looking for an introduction: I did or did not like today’s activity.  Then you want to lead them through three reasons why they did or did not like the activity.  Finally you will help them “end” or conclude the conversation.

You are verbally walking your child through a well constructed paragraph.  Being able to write a solid paragraph is a foundational skill in your child’s academic career. If they can learn how to do this in their mind, without even realizing it, they will be able to write in the Fall without  as much of a struggle. 

If you want to help your child learn to write a really great paragraph this summer, I created an e-course that has everything including an example of me doing each step called Writing Made Easy.  The e-course has 22 pages to help you, as a parent, teach your child.  If you are not a DIY kind of person and want me to go over each step with you as well as explain the parts with your child that they need to do, grab the exact same course, only on video: Writing Made Easy.

“When something is too hard… There is always another way.”

~Charlie, Dory’s Dad, Finding Dory