By Ms. Melissa De Los Santos
Avoid the dreaded “summer slide” with these three simple suggestions!
1. Read, read, read!
One of the simplest — and best — ways to retain your child’s knowledge over the summer is to have them read as much as they can! They can continue to learn and improve on their grammar skills, spelling, vocabulary, and analysis while reading their favorite book. Reading will also help them acquire more knowledge; for example, the popular Percy Jackson books will definitely give them so much information on Classical Mythology.
2. Practice basic concepts – but make it fun!
Is your child challenged by math? There are many apps like Buzzmath that can help your child strengthen their math skills while they’re having fun! There are many apps out there that combine education with fun, and for a variety of topics.
If you’re avoiding screen time for your child, don’t fret! You can easily devise your own activities that will not only help your child keep their knowledge, but also keep them entertained. Is your child struggling to retain certain historical concepts? Hold a social science trivia night! This will encourage your child to brush up on their knowledge, and involving the whole family will make it only sweeter!
3. Explore what they like, and build on it!
It is no secret that people respond well to doing things that pique their interest, and children are no exception.
For example, your art-inclined child needs a little help with his science concepts. You can have him build a catapult, or other similar simple projects, and talk about tension and how it would affect the trajectory of the machine. Your child will not only learn, but also have fun! The best part is that children will remember something more when they learned something while having fun!