Summer Resources

Why should children practice over the summer?

Learn about the Summer Slide

Have you heard of the “summer slide”? Unfortunately, it’s not the fun kind of slide you’ll find at a water park or playground. This slide is different. It’s a slide that no mom wants her child to ride.

What Is the Summer Slide

The summer slide is a decline in reading ability and other academic skills that can occur over the summer months when school isn’t in session.

Numerous studies show that kids who don’t read during summer vacation actually slip in reading ability by the time autumn rolls around.

But as parents, we don’t need studies to tell us this, do we? It’s evident in all sorts of situations. For example, if your child plays the violin but stops practicing for three months, his skills will decline more than the skills of a child who continued to practice and play the violin over the summer, right? So what can we do to avoid this common problem?

How to Prevent the Summer Slide

Here’s the secret to preventing the summer slide: Keep learning all summer long. (Now, don’t panic, I’m not talking about year-round schooling, although for some homeschool families, year-round schooling may be a good solution.)

I’m talking about consciously striving to provide learning opportunities throughout the summer to keep kids’ academic skills sharp. Check out the infographic for a big list of ideas to help you put an end to the summer slide!