Should summer academic slip be a concern or should we be simply requesting the students have a fun summer?
When I was teaching grade 6 I would give my students a list of activities for the summertime. Many of my students lived in apartments and had limited budgets so the list had to be accessible for everyone.
The summer learning list included:
- A reading list (list of titles suitable for age range)
- A reminder of where the library is!
- Information on the local library’s summer reading programme
- Free activities in the city you live in (i.e. free zoo day)
- Fun parks in the local area to play
The main emphasis was on reading, as this tends to be the most noticeable issue in September. Many children’s reading levels slip between June and September. If they only read during the summer, I imagine most teachers and parents will be happy.
Summer Bucket Lists
Other than reading, a summer bucket list is a fun way to remember all the great activities you want to do. Simply make a list and tick off the activities as they are completed. You can make your list as simple or complicated as you like.
The Most Important Summer Job
Allowing downtime for kids to get bored.
“Boredom is just the reverse side of fascination: both depend on being outside rather than inside a situation, and one leads to the other.”
Susan Sontag
I firmly believe in allowing children time to become bored and explore what to do in this situation. My daughter is probably tired of hearing me say “Bored, only boring people get bored!” I do offer suggestions if she is struggling but often leave her to look around to find an activity. In a world where we are having decreasing amounts of free time, getting bored is a luxury.
Do you set summertime learning activities for your students?
yummo! beautiful pirtcues..the last one would make a great postcard! thanks for dropping by 11wks. of summer and leaving such a nice comment…knowing someone else can use the info. is great! 🙂