It’s every parent’s midsummer nightmare.
You send your kids back to school in September, dressed and ready for another year of academics — and they’ve forgotten everything they learned last semester.
What was the point of all those late-night reading sessions? Why did you help them cram for those math tests? Was any of it worthwhile?!
Your child might be glad to be on vacation, but there’s that little voice in your head keeping you awake at night: Won’t the summer slide set them back in the fall?
Well, here’s what the data says:
Is summer learning loss a real thing?
Studies show that up to two and a half months of math skills and two months of reading skills are lost during the break.
It’s why teachers spend the first six weeks of the school year reviewing material to get kids back up to grade level.
So yes, summer learning loss is real, and that's especially true in higher grades.
But what’s the answer? Designing the perfect summer curriculum for our kids?
Thankfully, no.
We could force our children to spend their vacation doing math worksheets and reading Dostoevsky.
But if we do that, we’ll inadvertently teach them another lesson: how to hate learning.
So, to get your kids to stay sharp over the summer, you’re going to have to figure out how to make learning fun.
Before you roll your eyes, we promise that it’s possible.
Here’s how to cover every subject this summer, painlessly (translation: no worksheets):
Reading & Writing
If you’re worried about your kids’ literacy skills declining over the summer, the best way to counter that is to establish a summer reading habit.
That means setting aside time to read to your kids (or to read alongside your older kids).
Or what about starting a family book club and holding discussions in your living room or at a park? As a bonus, this gives kids an outlet to share their opinions (boosting their comprehension, while showing them that you think their ideas are valuable).
“By focusing on consistency rather than long stretches of one-off reading marathons, you’ll be helping your child maintain their current literacy skill level and teaching them about the power of habits,” says Natalia Oliver, a writer and Montessori education advocate.
For writing, you could try starting a family scrapbook and invite each family member to write down their favorite summer memories. Kids get the satisfaction of contributing to a family project, and you get to rest easy knowing they’re practicing their writing skills.
Other ways to motivate your kids to write include:
Asking littles to help with the family grocery list by sounding out different words/items
Placing blank sticky notes on objects around your home for your child to label
Refrigerator magnets that you can rearrange, or a whiteboard for writing out riddles or jokes
Giving your teen a new journal that they can use to record their thoughts, stories, poetry, etc.
Math
When it comes to keeping your children’s math skills at grade level all summer, it can be hard NOT to resort to worksheets and flashcards (and ensuing tantrums and power struggles).
But there are plenty of fun, painless ways to keep math skills sharp over the summer, like:
Playing board/card games that utilize counting and/or problem-solving skills
Asking your child to help you count change or measure ingredients
Allowing your teen to shop for grocery deals or help prepare a travel budget
Not only do these activities prevent the dreaded summer learning loss, but they also instill practical life skills.
Practical Life
We get so caught up in the idea that educational activities should focus on reading, writing, and math… but some of our kids’ most valuable lessons will come from everyday living.
If the end goal is to raise our children to be independent, competent adults… well, in that case, there are lessons to be found everywhere.
Just think of all the skills your kids can learn from traveling, for example:
Toddlers will have a blast packing (and unpacking) the suitcase.
Elementary-aged kids can write packing lists and cross things off as they go.
Teens can help plan the itinerary or research hotels and restaurants.
Summer activities don’t have to be “academic” to provide educational value.
A note about summer for teens
We should mention that if you’re the parent to a teenager, we don’t recommend planning out activities for them this summer.
That’s because teenagers need more unstructured time than younger kids.
Their developmental work right now is all about exercising their independence. So rather than planning out every week of their summer for them, you should invite them to take the reins and decide how they want to structure this unstructured season.
Try talking to your teen about all the possibilities that the weeks of freedom ahead will allow, like…
Learning to drive
Getting a summer job
Mastering a new skill or hobby
…but ultimately, give them the freedom to choose what they do.
But what if I’m at work all day?
If you’re a working parent, everything we just said might feel out of reach. If you’re not at home with your younger kids, you’re going to need childcare — and that’s where summer camps come in.
It’s also where *anxiety* comes in.
You don’t want a camp that’s too structured, forcing children to do activities that don’t interest them. And you don’t want a camp that’s too unstructured because you want your kids to have opportunities to learn and grow.
Might we make the case for a Montessori summer camp?
Montessori summer programs hit the sweet spot between self-directed learning, unstructured time, and a reliable routine.
If your child attends a Montessori program for school, they’ll get a seamless transition into summer programming (which is perfect at an age when routine and order are so important).
But even if your child doesn’t go to a Montessori program during the school year, they can still benefit from spending their summer at one.
They’ll be exposed to interesting, exciting learning materials, all while picking up skills that will help them become more independent.
It’s the perfect balance between giving your child a fun, memorable summer break and helping them to keep growing and learning.
Because effort and enjoyment aren’t mutually exclusive — and they shouldn’t be!