How to Foster Learning Throughout the Summer

To be successful in and out of school, children opportunities to continue to learn and develop essential skills. When the bell rings on the last day, the learning shouldn’t stop there. While summer is well-known for being carefree and relaxing, it poses a threat to the process of learning. Therefore, learning throughout the summer is essential to any student’s overall education.

Children experience learning losses when they don’t participate in educational activities during the summer months. Research has shown that students score lower on a standardized test at the end of the summer months than they do on the same test at the beginning of summer. A large portion of students lose about two months of grade level equivalency in mathematical computation skills over the summer.

Students that have access to learning opportunities improve their academic and physical health in ways that are extremely vital to their success in school. You can prevent summer learning loss by engaging your children in summer learning activities that will keep them mentally in shape and ready for the next school year to start.

One way to do this is to encourage your child to be an active reader this summer. Find fun and exciting books either recommended by teachers, your local library, or summer reading lists. Many libraries have a Summer Reading Program that will provide incentives for your child to read. Look into your child’s interest, whether it be about animals or fantasies, and try to find books on that subject to get them interested!

Another way to inspire summer learning is to take a little field trip. Visit some local learning resources in your community that are entertaining educational and close to home such as parks, libraries, recreation centers, and museums. By presenting children with a new and interesting environment, they will be curious and interested in what the place has to offer.

You can also make learning fun this summer by playing fun math and word games! Turn ordinary, everyday activities into learning opportunities for your children. Bring them with you next time you go shopping for groceries and see if they can add up your bill. When going on drives or walks around town, play “I Spy” and have them look for certain shapes, colors, or letters.

If you’re stumped on ideas, you can always ask your children’s teachers for advice. They can help recommend engaging, age-appropriate, educational activities that you can do with your children during the summer. Another great question to ask is what will be covered in class when your child goes back to school. For example, if they’re going to be covering a particular unit of history, consider taking your children to a history museum or finding a book that covers that specific event.

Summer camps are an amazing way for students to be engaged in a fun and exciting atmosphere, all while still learning! Delphi Academy of Santa Monica offers a summer camp for children ages 4-10. Students are engaged in fun, learning activities all summer long ranging from visiting the zoo, cooking classes, science classes, swimming and more!

The best thing you can do for your child’s education this summer is to turn off the TV, computer, and video games and get your children out moving and engaged in fun, learning activities!