With summer fast approaching, it’s time to start thinking about how you can prevent your students from experiencing the dreaded “summer slide.”
What is the summer slide in education?
Summer slide is that phenomenon where kids lose some of the academic skills they gained during the school year when they’re away from the classroom for too long. Yikes!
Is summer slide a real thing?
Unfortunately yes, it is. According to research by the National Summer Learning Association, students can lose up to two months of academic progress over the summer months!
The National Summer Learning Association also reports that teachers spend between four and six weeks re-teaching material at the beginning of each school year due to summer learning loss.
So how do you beat the summer slide?
Don’t worry, there are plenty of things you can do to help your students avoid the summer slide and keep their brains engaged all summer long. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Encourage Reading
As you know, reading is a great way to keep your students’ minds active and engaged over the summer. Encourage them to pick up books that interest them and make sure they have plenty of opportunities to read. You might consider hosting a summer reading program or creating a reading challenge to keep kids motivated. You can also suggest that they check out their local library for similar programs!
Make Learning Fun
Summer is the perfect time to get creative with your lesson plans. Try to find ways to make learning fun and engaging, whether that’s through hands-on activities, group projects, or field trips. The more enjoyable the learning experience, the more likely your students will be to stay engaged and motivated.
Utilize Online Resources
Thanks to the internet, there are plenty of online resources available that can help keep your students engaged over the summer. Whether it’s educational videos, interactive games, or virtual field trips, there’s something out there for everyone. Consider creating a list of resources for your students to explore over the summer.
Keep It Balanced
While it’s important to keep students engaged academically over the summer, it’s also important to give them a break and allow them to enjoy their summer vacation. Make sure your students have plenty of time for rest, relaxation, and fun activities that don’t involve schoolwork. Balance is key!
If you want the perfect resource to help minimize summer slide in your students, you should check out these Summer Packets! I created them with education, fun, and balance in mind so that your students can keep their brains engaged all summer long.
These packets are math and literacy-focused Google Ready digital activities that make it easy to do them at home with parents.
Here’s how to use it:
This is designed with Google Slides. It includes a parent letter, physical and oral suggestions, a reading log, and a review of math and language arts activities. Download and TpT will force a copy of it on your Google Drive. Students do not need to have Google Classroom to participate.
Here’s what’s included:
Pg. 1 Cover
pg. 2. How to use this packet and Parent Tips
pg.3 Oral and physical activity suggestions
pg. 4 Reading Log
Pg. 5 & 6 Sight Word List
Pg. 7-12 Sight Word Sort Review Activities
pg. 13-18 Word Families
pg. 19- 23 ABC Order Printables
pg. 24-25 Correcting Sentences
pg. 26-29 (Nouns, Verbs, Proper Nouns, Long and Short Vowels)
pg. 30-38 WRITING – Narrative, Opinion, Creative (Some printable to encourage handwriting)
pg. 39-41 Comprehension & Fluency
pg. 42- 59 Math Number Bonds, Addition, Subtraction, Shapes, measurement, 10 More 10 Less
Check out the video tutorial!
Love this but need it for a different grade? Check out other grades or get the bundle!
By implementing these strategies, you can help your students avoid the summer slide and start the next school year on the right foot. Remember, summer should be a time of fun and exploration, but that doesn’t mean learning has to take a backseat. With a little creativity and planning, you can help your students keep their minds active and engaged all summer long.
For more reasons to keep learning going all summer, check out my post here!