How to Prevent Summer Learning Loss: 5+ Tips for Beating Summer Slide

Summer is the best, isn’t it? Except for the dreaded “Summer Slide” or Summer Learning Loss. Read on for some tips to prevent summer learning loss! (This post does contain Amazon Affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you! Thanks so much!)

Prevent Summer Learning Loss Tip 1: Read!

Encourage your child (or students) to read over the summer! Many libraries host summer reading programs where children can earn prizes for summer reading!

Our local library also has an amazing app that lets you check out and read books digitally. The one that our library uses is called Libby. It is so easy to use. I check out books all the time from our local library and get them instantly on my iPad. You can also sync it to your phone, so you can have reading material where ever you go! I am not affiliated with Libby, I just LOVE it! Check with your local library to see what they offer. The greatest part is, using the library is usually FREE. I have a fun Library Scavenger Hunt for you! It is in my Free Resource Library (which also has tons of other free stuff you can use to help beat summer learning loss!) To get access you just have to sign up for my E-mail newsletter.

Create reading goals with your child. Complete the goal with your child. Set aside a bit of time each day to read together. Could be weekly or monthly. Plan a celebration when the goal is achieved! My suggestion: Go to a bookstore for a new book! 🙂 Your child or your students could use a reading log to keep track of their reading. I have both digital and printable reading logs.

Summer Learning Loss Prevention Tip #2: Math!

Math skills seem especially susceptible to the summer slide! There are all kinds of ways to keep your kiddo’s math skills sharp over the summer!

• Play games. There are some AWESOME online math games that your child could play to help them keep their skills sharp. My favorite (not affiliated) is a game called Prodigy (and it’s free). Your child just needs to sign up for an account. It also provides reports that you can look at to see how your child is doing! IXL is another great site! Check them out! Looking for some math games that aren’t on a screen? These fun memory-type games help your child to practice basic math facts! Sign up for my e-mail newsletter and get 3 free math games! Shark Attack-Subtraction Facts, Zombie-Doubles Facts, and a Pattern Block Game! You can get pattern blocks here (Amazon Affiliate link).
• Puzzles.
• Cooking. (Supervised by an adult of course.) Let your child help you do some cooking over the summer. This idea is an all-around great learning experience for your child. Practice reading by looking at recipe books and deciding on something to cook. Practice Writing by making a grocery list. Practice life skills by going to the store and learning how it is organized and where you would find ingredients. Practice math by learning about money by estimating the cost as you go, paying and getting change, and then measuring when you go about making your dish! So much learning going on!
• Flashcards: Practice flashcards (Amazon affiliate link. If you purchase through this link I get a small commission at no cost to you!) for a few minutes a day. Make them with your kiddo using a marker and index cards (Amazon affiliate link.)

Tip #3: Write!

There are so many ways that your kiddo could practice their writing skills over the summer.

• Set up a free e-mail account for your child and let them send e-mails (supervised by you of course) to friends and family.
• Keep a journal. Have your child spend some time every day writing about what they are up to.
• Write Stories! Children love writing stories! Need some story ideas? These super fun writing prompts with pictures will have your kiddos writing all summer long and LOVING it!
• Make mini-books! Kids LOVE making mini-books! Mini-Books are easy to make, and fun to write in.
• Sticker Stories: Just add stickers. Kids LOVE stickers! Use fun summer-themed backgrounds to get your kiddos creative writing juices flowing!
• Shark Week! Do you have a child who LOVES sharks? There are so many fun shark-related activities out there! These are super fun writing activities that your shark-loving child will adore!

STEM/STEAM Activities Help Prevent Summer Learning Loss!

STEM or STEAM seem to be the buzzwords right now! STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. The A in STEAM is for Art. All important thought-provoking ideas! STEM/STEAM is usually an open-ended activity or challenge that students try to complete. Usually, there are constraints involved like limited materials or time. There are so many benefits to STEM/STEAM Education. Some fun STEM/STEAM activities are also great for preventing summer learning loss!

If you have been here to Primary Planet at all you know that I am crazy about Play Dough! I have a ton of fun Playdough STEM Activities! These activities include recipes for making your own playdough (with all of the benefits listed above to cooking together!), the mats with the STEM challenges, STEM challenge task cards, STEM mini-books, and a list of thought-provoking questions to ask while your child/student is working on their challenges! You can try them out with a freebie in my Free Resource Library when you sign up for my e-mail newsletter!

Prevent Summer Learning Loss Tip #5: Be a Good Role Model

This is a tip not only for preventing summer learning loss, but to help your child always be the best they can be! Showing your child that you value learning by learning yourself is so important! Let your child see you reading, writing, and being curious about the world will help them want to do those things as well! This shows them that learning is a fun and valuable way to spend their time! Doing learning activities together is also a bonding experience. Your child will continue to reap the benefits throughout their life, not just during the summer.

One really great way to set an example is by limiting screen time. I know that this can be really difficult, but the benefits are great! Letting your child get bored during the summer sounds terrible, but it fosters creativity! Let them get bored.

Bonus Tip for Preventing Summer Learning Loss: Field Trips!

Take field trips: Field trips can be a great way to prevent summer learning loss. Field trips can be fun and engaging over the summer. Visit museums, historical sites, and other places that offer educational opportunities.

Here are some simple field trip ideas:

• Grocery Store! You have to go anyway, take your child with you, and talk about how the store is set up, where you find certain items, what items usually go together, how much things cost, etc. There are a ton of things that your child can learn at the grocery store!
• Your local library. Usually, libraries have a TON of stuff going on. Teach your child (or ask a librarian) how to use the computer system to look up books. Do a book scavenger hunt together. Find some books to read. The library is awesome.
• Local Park. Go to the park together. Obviously, play, but also take some time to observe. Check out the equipment to see how it is put together. Look for bugs and flowers. The park is an amazing wealth of learning opportunities.
• Post Office. Take your child to the post office. Show them how mailing a letter or package works. Encourage your child to write a letter to a friend or loved one, show them how to address the envelope, go to the post office to get a stamp, and put it in the mail!

After your field trip, have your child write down a journal entry about what they learned. If you spoke with anyone during your trip, have your child write a thank-you letter to the venue, look up the address together and mail it!

Summer vacation should be a fun, relaxing time for resting and recharging, but we don’t want our students/children to lose what they learned during the school year. With a little bit of effort, you can make sure that your child is ready to hit the ground running when the new school year starts. Using the summer learning loss prevention tips will help your child keep learning while still enjoying their summer vacation!

Pin the image below so you don’t lose these fun summer learning loss prevention tips! Thank you so much for stopping by and reading my post!

Happy Teaching and Learning,