Summer Learning Ideas & Tips

Summer is a time for fun and relaxation, but it can also be a time for learning too! Learning over the summer does not have to replicate the school year. Children can forget what they have learned over the previous school year, so it is important to keep skills sharp while they are on summer vacation! The summer slide allows children to forget things that they learned during the previous school year and can also set them back at the start of their next school year, which can affect long-term educational outcomes for children. Here are some fun ways to prevent the summer slide!

Reading

Reading in different locations than your child normally reads can be a really fun way to incorporate reading this summer! You can make a list of all of the different places together at the beginning of summer and see how many you can check off by the end of summer. Places like under the shade of a tree, on a picnic, or on a beach towel (even if it is just in your own backyard) are all good places to start.
Make a family reading time, at least a few times a week. This can include a family read aloud time, as well as a time for independent reading…and that includes adults too! Children look up to adults in their family, and seeing you read will encourage them to read more too.
Make sure that you have books available for easy access. It is great to keep a small bin of books (or even just a few) in your car. This is perfect for having while in the car, as well as while at a sporting event or activity that a sibling is involved in.
Many local libraries offer summer reading programs to incentivize reading over the summer. If you don’t have a local library that does, Barnes and Noble offers a summer program as well.
You and your child can design their own summer reading challenge based off of your child’s needs and interests (could be a goal for a number of books read, a goal for the number of pages read, reading a book in a variety of different genres, etc.). If you want an already prepared on, these are free and available to download and print: summer reading challenge and another summer reading challenge. This free genre reading challenge is to introduce children to a variety of different reading genres.
Summer is the perfect time to make regular trips to the library! You can look and see if your library offers any extra programs in the summer too, like sessions with the librarian, or craft days too. Many libraries also have either a book sale, or a small used bookstore as well. These are excellent (and relatively free or inexpensive) ways to build your at-home library.
Book swaps can be a free and easy way for your child to read new books! Invite family, friends and neighbors to come with their children and to bring any books that they are no longer interested in to swap with each other. You can have a special swap section for any adults there too!
Little Free Libraries are located around the country. You can go to this Little Free Library page to locate one near you. You can also start your own!

Writing

Summer is the perfect time to write to friends and family! Whether it be a letter, post card, or e-mail, they can all help your child to practice their writing skills.
Keeping a journal about what your child does over the summer is an excellent way for them to practice their writing skills. Whether it be an entry on catching their first fish, learning how to ride a bike, or about a summer trip, you can encourage your child to write about it.
Pen pals are a fantastic way for your child to both practice writing, as well as to learn about another place around the country, or even a different place in the world! Here is a resource to learn more about pen pals, and to find one for your child.
Scrapbooking is a fun and creative way for kids to practice their writing skills, and to create a memory album too! Here is a summer scrapbooking resource to learn more about it.

Math

Grocery stores are the perfect place to practice math! Your child can help you to make a list, and to keep track of the money that is spent. You can adjust this for the needs of your child by rounding the item to the nearest dollar for younger children, and including exact change/prices for older ones.
Cooking and/or baking is a fun and delicious way for your child to practice their math skills. You can have them help to choose a recipe to cook or bake, and then have them assist in following the directions to make the recipe. This is an excellent way to practice measurement and reading comprehension in a hands-on way!
A trip to the farmer’s market is a fun and healthy way to incorporate learning about money. It also encourages healthy eating, and learning about how food gets from the farm into their home. Encourage your child to interact with the farmers too so that they can learn about farming.
There are many different math games, books, and activities.
This website offers many outdoor math activities.
Have your child design a math game to practice math skills from the previous year (ex. bingo, tic-tac-toe, a card game, or even a board game on a piece of poster board).
Practice math facts at least a few times a week so that your child does not lose knowing them over the summer. This doesn’t have to mean flashcards. There are plenty of games both online and printable (many are available for free at www.teacherspayteachers.com) for your child to practice their skills.

Science & S.T.E.A.M.

Summer is the perfect time to create a science collection! Your child can collect leaves or insects, and then use books or internet resources to try to identify as many as they can with your assistance. They can also do this by taking photos too, with an example being different types of trees,
Summer is the perfect time to visit a science museum for either just a visit, or to participate in a science program! Locate a museum near you: Museums 4 All and Museums for Children.
Gardening is an amazing way for children to learn about plants and life cycles. You can encourage them to write about them and take pictures too (perhaps to make a scrapbook with at the end of summer).
Outside S.T.E.M. activities are a fun way to learn about science, especially activities that are sometime too messy to complete inside during the colder months. Here is a link for some fun S.T.E.M. activities.
Visit a local zoo or aquarium to learn more about animals. They can create a poster or a diorama when they get home to teach others about what they learned.
Ask your child about something that they want to learn how to do. Research using either a “how-to” book or a website and help them to learn how to do that skill.
If you have access to a pool with limited restrictions, this is a fun pool or lake S.T.E.M activity.
Create a S.T.E.A.M. Bored Jar. This is perfect to pull out anytime your child says that they are bored!

Social Studies

Visiting a museum or a historical place is a wonderful way to learn more about history! Check to see if your community has any historical homes or a local community museum so that your child can learn more about what their community was like in the past! Locate a museum near you: Museums 4 All and Museums for Children.
If you are going on a trip, try to research the location with your child to learn more about where they are going. Have them help to plan the trip.
Summer is a great time to go on a scavenger hunt! You can do one in your own neighborhood or do one in your community to learn about the different places and people that work in your community. Here are some ideas for a variety of scavenger hunts. These can be completed with just your family, or you can invite other family members and friends to join in on the fun as well.
Mapping out trips is an excellent way for your child to learn more about geography and mapping skills! Whether it be a trip to the local library, or a week-long family vacation, your child can learn about maps.
Tour a local factory to see how something is made. Some factories even offer free tours. One chocolate factory near me offers free tours including a free piece of chocolate at the end!
Find a local organization that welcomes child volunteers such as a food pantry to teach your child about helping out in the community.

Summer should be a time where children have a lot of fun and make wonderful memories with their family and friends, but it can be a time for learning too!

I offer both online and in-person language arts and math tutoring for elementary school aged students, with my specialty being the primary grades. You can read more about my teaching style, as well as parent reviews by visiting my Indyed page. I am also able to assist with homeschooling consulting as well. In addition, I have a summer themed math product that can be used to help younger elementary aged students to practice their addition and subtraction word problem skills.