Published: July 4, 2022
Our last blog post was about Summer Learning Loss and how parents can combat it. One way to avoid this setback is to sneak in summer learning. Hiring a tutor is an excellent way to provide structure and support throughout the summer so your child retains what they have learned during the past school year however, there are many easy ways to sneak summer learning into your child’s day-to-day activities throughout July and August.
Sneak In Summer Learning: MATH
As discussed previously, on average, students can lose approximately 2.6 months of math learning over the summer, which can take up to six weeks of re-learning old material to make up for the loss. But math is also one of the most accessible subjects to sneak in summer learning, with opportunities to practice basic skills daily.
Host a Yard Sale:
Your kids will need to analyze what they are selling to set a price, be able to calculate change, and offer percentage or dollar discounts.
Get Cooking:
Having your kids help in the kitchen teaches them life skills and is an easy way to sneak in math, specifically when it comes to measurements. As your kids go through each recipe step, have them convert a measurement. For instance, if the recipe calls for three tablespoons, ask them how many teaspoons that would be.
Math Games for The Family:
Nothing sneaks in summer learning like family game night! Some of the best games that focus on math are:
Yahtzee
Mastermind
Battleship
Uno
Monopoly
Sneak In Summer Learning: SCIENCE
The wonderful thing about science is that even simple hands-on experiments requiring only a few materials can spark an interest in the subject for the upcoming school year.
You can create your own experiments or get inspiration here. This Prep Academy article also has three boredom-busting science experiments that will keep your kids engaged using basic household items you likely already have lying around.
Sneak In Summer Learning: READING/WRITING
Summer Scrapbook:
Have your child delve into their creative side by making a scrapbook where they journal their summer adventures. Use everything you have on hand – magazine clippings, stickers, markers, and construction paper – the sky is the limit! Have your kids incorporate creative storytelling for a fun way to practice writing that also makes a memory book they can look back on in the fall.
Garage Sales:
Build up your kids’ home library by hitting local garage sales and having them choose and buy books they would like to read.
Rethink Screen Time:
While you don’t want your kids to be in front of a screen for an entire summer, you can turn television time into reading time by simply turning on the closed captioning when they are watching their favourite shows.
Sneak In Summer Learning: GEOGRAPHY
Latitude/Longitude Part 1:
Whenever your child reads a book, magazine or newspaper article, have them find the latitude and longitude of the location where the focus of the article takes place and find it on a map.
Latitude/Longitude Part 2:
Have your child find their birthday latitude and longitude on a map. Use the month for latitude and day for longitude. If the birthday is October 18, the coordinates could be 10°N, 18°E or 10°S, 18°W. To expand on this, have them find out facts about the area they found.
Take a Virtual Tour of the World
Google Virtual Tours allows you to visit thirty historic landmarks worldwide, including the Taj Mahal, Great Sphinx of Giza and Stonehenge.
On a final note, summer learning loss is not inevitable. A combination of at-home learning and working with our certified tutors will help your child retain what they’ve already learned and confidently start the school year.