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For most students, summer provides a three-month-long vacation for the brain. Kids think “school’s out, summer’s here, don’t bore me with anything intellectual!” Yet teachers complain about spending the first two months of school reviewing material forgotten due to summer learning loss. So as we head towards the Fall, we find ourselves trying to combat summer amnesia and attempt to get ready for a new school year.
Over the summer, you should ensure that your child avoids seeing books as foreign objects collecting dust on the shelf. Have the library staff recommend great thrillers and adventure books. Pick an exciting and challenging book to read aloud together, even with a middleschooler, as it increases vocabulary, improves his listening skills, and stimulates his imagination. Set and stick to limits on TV, video, and computer games: just as you do during the school year. And remember that even comic books and magazines beat reading nothing at all!
It’s never to late to add some fun, intellectual activities to your summer plan. For example: visit a local museum, going to the gift shop first to buy 4 postcards of exhibit items and turning the visit into an adventurous treasure hunt. You can also cook together with your child, even doubling recipes, as each step involves math and science. And be on the lookout for summer stories your child will be asked to share in September and have your child dabble in summer creative writing capturing exciting details while they are fresh. Try to incorporate academic lessons or activities in your everyday experiences – your child will boost their brainpower without even realizing they’re learning.
We are already heading (shockingly) into August. Before we know it, the first day of school will be here with all of the unresolved academic and social issues of last year coming back into play. Take the weeks ahead to craft a detailed latter about your child for next year’s teachers. Teachers swept up in the tumult of a new school year so appreciate getting insights into your child: everything from passions outside of school to intellectual interests and interpersonal dynamics. Think of this as your summer homework. To help your child get in the right mindset for school, encourage increased independence and responsibility at home: your child will apply the same qualities to his education. Learning to pick up after himself and keep track of his stuff will prepare your child for the self-reliance teachers look for.