As summer sets in and routines change, you might be thinking about how to support your kids in holding onto the academic gains they made during the school year. According to the National Summer Learning Association, which invests in summer learning to help close opportunity gaps, all students experience learning loss when they do not engage in educational activities during the summer months. For more on this topic, I encourage you to read “Summer learning loss: What we know and what we’re learning” by NWEA researchers Megan Kuhfeld and Andrew McEachin.
8 great resources
The following are eight of my favorite ways to support summer learning at home—or while you’re on vacation!
- Summer reading programs. Many libraries and bookstores offer summer reading programs to encourage kids to read during the summer months. Check out what’s available to you locally
- “Five was to promote endless summer reading.” This Teach. Learn. Grow. blog post by NWEA literacy expert Julie Richardson provides practical advice on engaging kids of all ages with reading this summer.
- How to support reading at home: A guide for families. This compilation of Teach. Learn. Grow. blog posts will help you support younger kids in continuing to develop their reading skills.
- How to support writing at home: A guide for families. Just like the compilation listed above, this eBook can help you encourage your child to keep practicing writing this summer.
- Summer Boost. This site is full of worksheets, games, workbooks, activities, lesson plans, and more that can help you put together fun exercises to keep your kids reading, writing, and practicing their math skills this summer.
- Khan Academy. You probably know about Khan Academy as a math resource. But did you know they have reading, writing, and science courses, too?
- PBS Kids for Parents. Designed to support parents and caregivers of kids up to age 8, this site is full of valuable resources for supporting math, literacy, and science summer learning but also emotional regulation and social skills development.
- Get outside. Experiential learning is also something you can encourage over the summer. Local field trips, camping, and museums are all great ways to connect your child with their surroundings and nature all while practicing literacy and math skills and having fun as a family. Where will you and yours go?
