For kids everywhere, summertime means a break from school. For parents though, the fear of the summer slide – the potential loss of learning achieved during the academic year – is real. However, with a little planning and ingenuity, parents can find the balance between fostering their children’s creativity and having fun!
A primary school child plays with a slime, a pully sticky toy for the development of creativity.Avoiding learning loss doesn’t necessarily require rigid repetition of skills. Less structured learning is key to keeping it enjoyable for kids. “The most engaging, meaningful, and memorable learning is not from a workbook or computer screen, but through hands-on activities,” says Ridgefield teacher Becca Talcott. A simple task like planting a vegetable or flower garden can require several skills – researching what plants would thrive (reading), making a list of what they want to plant (writing), budgeting and shopping for plants (math). New Canaan teacher, Christine Zalewski recommends letting children’s interests drive what they want to learn about. “Brainstorming some ideas with your children gets their buy-in and makes learning less of a chore,” says Zalewski.
Both Talcott and Zalewski emphasize that if nothing else, kids should be reading and be read to over the summer. “Reading makes better writers and helps children to build empathy,” says Zalewski. Talcott suggests starting a family or neighborhood book club. Making predictions and making connections about the book is a great way to get kids talking about what they’ve read.
Most local libraries offer summer reading incentive programs to get kids excited about reading. Mary Hoskinson-Dean, Assistant Library Director, Head of Children and Teen Services of the Mark Twain Library, says, “Our incentive program rewards readers (and listeners) for meeting reading goals. We want reading to be entertaining and informative – and with luck, appealing!”
Kristina Lareau, Ridgefield Library’s Children’s Services Department Head, advises parents to let children’s curiosity influence their book selection. Maybe it’s finding out more about a familiar topic, or it could be discovering a new one. “One family who visits the library regularly will sit down in an aisle in the non-fiction section and pull a random book to discover something new to read and talk about it. Part of the engagement is having an adult pay attention to and validating the child’s interests,” says Lareau.
Lareau, like most librarians likes to find the right book for the right child but also feels kids should also just read for enjoyment – even if it’s reading the same book over and over again. “They’re interacting with that material in some way. says Lareau. “My favorite question from library patrons is – ‘I am looking for a good book to read, can you help me?’ It’s really fascinating to witness when a child finds a book that they’re excited to read.”
In addition to reading programs, most libraries offer a wide variety of activities to keep kids using their noggin – everything from slime-making science classes to gaming. Many libraries also have discount or free passes to local museums, another possibility to explore new topics.
Educators and librarians alike all stress the importance of unstructured time. Letting kids “get bored” and work through that feeling can be a great opportunity for learning. “Giving kids unstructured time teaches them to entertain themselves – it builds independence, self -reliance, and problem-solving skills,” says Talcott.
What if your child needs more formal help over the summer? Maybe your child needs to catch up on a topic they struggled with or maybe it’s laying the groundwork for an upcoming class. Hiring a tutor can be beneficial. Steve Duda of the Ridgefield Education Center & Learning Center recommends giving your child some time off before jumping in. Duda also suggests using educational apps and YouTube channels to spark interest. “Kids are more likely to do math problems on a fun app game than in a workbook,” says Duda. Watching educational videos together can also spark curiosity and show kids that learning is fun for all ages.
