How is your summer going? What has changed? Are you worried about or challenged by the existing environment? This summer has presented a different scenario for parents. Many parents are trying to work while their children have increased free time. Some worry their child will be restless, bored, or unhappy with summer restrictions. Others are worried about the “summer slide”.
The summer slide is the idea that “Kids not exposed to ongoing summer learning, such as reading and solving math problems, can lose anywhere from one to three months of what they learned in the previous grade. When that happens, children start the next year playing catch up.” It is important to remember that this risk has existed for a long time and that there are some ways you can have an impact on the outcome this summer.
Start by looking at this as an opportunity. Take advantage of what happens in normal day-to-day life. Learning takes place in different ways than the traditional classroom. Recently, I read an article that quoted the evolutionary psychologist Peter Grey. He shared this quote. “The primary role of summer is to experience the real world and get away from school. It’s a time to explore your own interests and work on your hobbies — the things that poetry tells us are good for the human soul.”
Elizabeth Dutro shares a similar perspective. As the chair of the literacy studies at CU Boulder’s School of Education and is the author of The Vulnerable Heart of Literacy, she talks a lot about how rich learning goes way beyond school-like activities. Exploring interests online, cooking and baking, taking care of plants and animals, using materials lying around to create things, and creative play all count as learning. These things are also important for developing literacy skills.
The factor that makes this different is limitations around typical activities. So, we have to get creative. Start by being curious about what your child is passionate about. Then, combine this passion with day-to-day activities that are related. Not only is this an opportunity to support their learning; it is also an opportunity to be in relationship with them. It is during these times your children may talk to you about personal things outside of the current activity.
Don’t forget, as parents you are a resource and an example for your children. Like anything, your kids are watching you and learning from how you respond. Model learning about the things you are passionate about in your day-to-day life such as reading, developing your own hobbies, or learning another language. Then make the connections for them. Share what you are getting out of your new experiences.
We are all in this together. Let’s look for the opporutnities!
Happy Parenting,
Dr. Shelly