Carolina Pad asked me to share some tips for preventing summer learning loss. Seeing as I am a teacher, I readily accepted. On top of that, I wanted to make my suggestions cheap or free just for Thrifty Thursday.
5 Inexpensive Ways to Stop the Summer Brain Drain
1. Read. Read. Read. Every day. Believe it or not, non-fiction reading is just as important as fiction reading. Menus, directions, recipes, magazines, books from the library–there are endless options for reading everyday. Make sure you don’t forget about practicing reading aloud, as well as to yourself. Check this article out if you don’t believe me.
2. Get outside. Exercise and a healthy body are important for learning, even during the summer. Kids who exercise on a daily basis are healthier and that makes their brains work even better. Playing imaginative games is even better, because it requires creativity and problem solving!
3. Cook together. First of all, recipe are wonderful tools for reading, but I already mentioned that! Recipes require you to follow directions, which is something everyone needs practice with. Recipes also require math: measurement, temperature, fractions, and more. I teach fourth grade, and we use all three math concepts during the year. Other grades use them too. Cooking is a wonderful way to hone the skills that children have learned during the school year.
4. Play games. No, not the video game kind…although in moderation, even video games can be beneficial. Many card and board games are very educational. Most games require communication, math, and strategy. Verbal and non-verbal communication is a very important life skill that helps a child throughout life. The mathematics and strategy used will be invaluable in learning problem solving.
5. Keep a file or notebook of grade level worksheets and activities. You never know when your child will want to play school or will be willing to try some new things. As summer drags on, many children seem to be ready to get back to learning and school. Take advantage of this readiness by incorporating some written practice in your routine at least once a week. Don’t have any resources? Google is a great resource to find lots of worksheets and activities!
Disclaimer: I am only a teacher. These are things I plan to do with my own children when I have them. I don’t have children, and I don’t guarantee results. I would however love my students to do all these things during the summer.
What are you doing with your children to prevent summer learning loss?
Do you have a Thrifty idea? Did you save a ton of money this week? Do you have a Thrifty deal you want to share? If so, please leave a comment or link up below!
Disclosure: Carolina Pad is compensating me for this post with some school supplies, although all content and opinions are my own. They are also offering my U.S. readers a discount code when you shop online. The code is BTS2011. It is valid until July 31st.
I disclose : There may be affiliate links in this post.
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Great ideas! We taught our girls how to play checkers last night. Simple yet a great strategy game.
Checkers is great!
You are right kids do lose a lot in the summer. Mine read like crazy which is good and I have them keep up on math skills about once a week just so they don’t lose what they learned last year.
It takes a little practice, but they will be ready when August and Sept roll around!
These are wonderful ideas, Shelly! I was a teacher for a few years and in the summer I would work as a nanny for a family. One of the things that always surprised me was how fast children lose creativity during the summer. They would just sit around or want to watch TV until someone gave them suggestions. Some of my fondest memories are being silly and creative with either the kids in my classroom or the kids in the summer. So, if I could add to the list, I would say to look for ways to be creative and silly with your kids.
Thanks for the additional idea!! :)
Another way for the older kids to use their math skills is coupons! They can calculate the cost of an item after the coupon. Then try to estimate what the total cost will be. It is almost a game that we play when go to the grocery store. I have to make it fun since my son is no longer interested in shopping of any kind.
The museums are a nice way to get out of this heat and the kids get to walk around and read about all the stuff. Even if you’ve been before there is always something new to discover.
Writing letters or post cards are a neat way for kids to keep up with their writing skills and they also get rewarded with a letter or post card back.
And last but not least just have fun! :)
Thanks for adding to my list….I can’t believe I forgot coupons…! ;)
My rising 2nd grader received 2 packets of work from his new teacher, plus a book report assignment all of which we’ve been working on slowly this summer. We’ve also been pulling out the board games and picked up another one at Target this week.
I almost forgot – I picked up summer practice books from Five Below which the rising Kindergartener and 2nd grader have both been using.
Whew! You have been busy!!
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