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10 Sneaky Ways to Prevent Summer Slide
By Leslie Marinelli | Forsyth County Public Library
P
arents, you’ve probably heard about the dreaded learning loss known as summer slide. Many children struggle to maintain gains in reading and math during summer break and studies have shown that without regular reading and learning activities, students can actually lose roughly one month of school-year achievement over the summer. Fortunately, summer slide is preventable through enriching activities and daily reading. Here are 10 easy ways you can make memories with your child this summer while helping them practice important literacy and math skills. They’ll have so much fun, they won’t even realize they’re learning!
1. Visit your library.
4. Sneak a science lesson into other activities.
I’ve seen enough smiling children and parents holding stacks of books at Forsyth County Public Libraries to know beyond the shadow of a doubt that spending time at the library helps kids fall in love with reading. There is something magical about being surrounded by all the books and other people excited about books that makes people want to read more. Plus, our helpful librarians can give you and your child personalized suggestions about all the materials, resources, and activities available at the library. And everything is free!
Practice creative chemistry by making an ice balloon and conducting experiments. Learn about ecology and biology by planting a vegetable patch. Discover why the seasons change on Earth by building a model of the solar system.
2. Read aloud. Even children who are reading on their own can benefit from the practice of reading aloud to you, or listening as you read aloud. When you share a story, you can talk about the characters, the action, and your child’s reaction to the book. Those discussions can encourage deeper reading, boost comprehension, and aid in recalling details. Pro tip: let your child pick the book, audiobook, or graphic novel for increased buy-in.
3. Cook with your kids. Practice fractions with older elementary students as they measure ingredients for a recipe. Practice reading and following instructions with younger elementary students as they read the recipe and follow the step-by-step instructions. 16 | 400 LIFE | June 2022
5. Enjoy family game night. Pull out skill-building games like Bananagrams or Scrabble to practice spelling and vocabulary or Monopoly, Jr. to practice math and money management.
6. Map it out. Whether you’re taking a road trip or just going to a park across town, you can practice geography by giving your child a map and asking them to pinpoint your home and your destination. Then, ask them to plan a route and give turn-by-turn directions, such as “Go south on Ga. 400” and “Take exit 14 and go west on Hwy. 20” to hone their map-reading and spatial reasoning skills.
7. Practice creative writing. Ask older elementary students to write a short song (set to a familiar tune, like ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’) to commemorate a family event or milestone, such as a vacation or a birthday. Ask younger students to write and mail a note to a friend or family member. Students of all ages can write or draw pictures to tell a story and you can help them make their own homemade book bindings.
