As summer approaches I tend to get a lot of “How do you keep your kids from forgetting things over the summer?” In regards to our schooling. I think I get this more than other parents because my friends and acquaintances know that we homeschool and I think they expect me to have researched resources already (which I usually have). So, in no particular order here are a few ways I’ll be keeping the things my kids have learned this past school year fresh in their minds while we take our summer break.
1) Reading :: Summer reading clubs are my absolute favorite way to motivate my kids to read during the summer. If your local library doesn’t have a Summer Reading Club do a quick search online and you can find some options from publishers and bookstores.
2) Math :: Workbooks are my go-to for keeping math skills sharp over the summer. Depending on your children’s ages and skill levels you can find an appropriate workbook(s) from a lot of different companies and publishers. My favorites are from Kumon Publishing.
3) Handwriting :: This can be worked into so many other activities but I like to make sure my kids work on their manuscript or cursive writing over the summer. This is primarily to prevent their handwriting from starting to look like medical professionals in training… This can be as easy as having daily free-writing time where you just let them write whatever they would like, or set a timer and provide a prompt if needed. If you’re little ones are not quite ready to free-write or need extra work on neatness I like to use downloads from
Classical Copywork. These inexpensive downloads can be printed at home and you can get either cursive or manuscript copywork in beginner or elementary difficulty levels.
4) Screen Time :: Yep. I said it. Screen time can be educational and can also save your sanity. Look for apps, shows, and games that can help your kids sharpen their skills, learn new skills, or develop critical thinking. Road trips, rainy days, and mandatory afternoon quiet time are a great time to sneak in some learning.
How do you sneakily (or not so sneakily) keep your kids from having summer learning loss?
*I was in no way compensated for this post. Opinions provided are my own.*
the foodie :: carinn is a married to her best friend and is the momma to 2 adventurous daughters and 1 go-with-the-flow son. a night owl in a house of *gasp* morning people she runs on coffee, chocolate, and prayers as she homeschools her children. when not off exploring the mitten state with her family she enjoys books, music, and binge watching shows on netflix. her love of delicious foods and a deep desire to fit into her pants motivates her attempts to keep up with simple mom ginny on fitbit.
Find more of Carinn on her blog, twitter, pinterest, instagram and Google+.
hannah
June 10, 2017 at 11:12 pmour local library has a summer reading competition of sorts, you earn points for every book you read. And also earn points for walking, eating healthy etc, with several prizes you can win.
Maryann D.
June 10, 2017 at 7:45 amWhen my children were young, I enrolled them in the reading club offered at our local Library. I also had plenty of work books for them too!
Janet W.
June 10, 2017 at 7:40 amWorkbooks are such a good idea over the summer break. I bought my grandsons a workbook each from Costco that they’ve been enjoying.
Carinn
June 14, 2017 at 11:21 pmCostco always seems to have some great workbooks available!
shelly peterson
June 9, 2017 at 4:25 amThis is great information. I try to keep the kids reading through the Summer and get some workbooks.
Sara Zielinski
June 8, 2017 at 11:33 amThese are great learning resources for kids.
Rosie
June 8, 2017 at 10:52 amThese are so nice! I recall when I was a little tyke, I would ask my parents for the workbooks we saw in the store, many kids do love learning over the summer!
Marti Tabora
June 8, 2017 at 6:36 amThese are great resources and I like that you included screen time. I think it’s a great learning tool and it doesn’t feel like learning.