Are you familiar with the "Summer Slide?" It is the concept that students forget valuable information over the summer, causing the teachers to re-teach concepts in the fall that were already covered in the spring.
Our daily routine combined academics with the opportunity to earn electronics. I asked my boys to complete 30-minutes each of math, writing, and reading (at appropriate levels) and in return they earned an electronic activity, such as a YouTube video or video game time. Each day they could also complete either the math (using IXL Math or ABCya) or the writing (using Scribblenauts) electronically. We went to library weekly to replenish the selection of books for reading time.
Overall it went well. My oldest would occasionally complain that summer was for "relaxing" and not doing school work, however the routine of the plan worked well for him. He's they kind of kid who would happily watch TV, play video games, or watch YouTube videos all day if we did not give him set guidelines. The youngest happily followed the routine and would often go to the schedule posted on the fridge to check "what's next."
School starts in just a few days for my kids, so we will see how much of the Summer Slide we prevented. How about you? What works well for you to prevent the Summer Slide? Comment with your ideas below.
We have a program here in Hagerstown via the University of Maryland campus called PALS. It's a literacy program that pairs kids with student-teachers and they work on their reading and writing. It's a free program that also meets during the school year. So thankful to have gotten my girls into this, as it helped Julia and gave Abby a creative outlet.
ReplyDeleteThe PALS program is wonderful!! My husband was an administrator during the summer session for two years, and I have the privilege to do a music unit with them last year. Programs like PALS definitely slow if not completely halt the Summer Slide.
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