Preventing The Summer Slump – Staying School Ready
When school lets out, it is time for summer fun to begin. Your children probably eagerly anticipate this time of year-long summer days perfect for hanging out with friends and the freedom of making their own schedule.
While a summer break is a great time for your child to recoup from a busy school year, it can also turn into a time where they lose all routine and discipline, making the transition back into the next school year a nightmare. If you have watched this pattern in your children’s life occur year after year, consider how you can help prevent the summer slump. While it is good to allow your child time to enjoy being a kid over the summer break, help ensure they are still prepared for the transition back into school next fall. This will be beneficial to the whole family and can help you stay ready as well.
Read on to learn more about how you can ensure your child stays school ready year-round.
Keep Some Routine In Your Life
Without the requirement of heading to classes every morning looming over your heads, it is easy to let all routine drift slowly out of your lives like the lazy summer Big Thompson river. However, while it is fine to ease up on some of the routines in your lives, it is important that you don’t let this go too far.
For example, during the summer, you might allow your kids to stay up a little later and sleep in longer. This can be fine as long as you do so within bounds. If you let your kids stay up as late as they want and sleep in until any hour, you can wind up shifting their sleep schedule so far off track that readjusting in the fall is a horrible experience. Instead of allowing your kids to slowly drift into a later and later sleep cycle, opt for flexibility with guidelines. Perhaps they can stay up an hour to two hours later than normal and get up an hour to two hours later but cap it off there. By instilling some routine, you will prevent them from going into shock when school starts back up again.
Encourage Learning
Just because school is out doesn’t mean that your kids should stop engaging their brain. If your children spend the entire summer without challenging their brains, it will make the transition back into academics a painful one. Think of it the same as any other muscle. If you stopped walking and using your legs for the entire summer, you wouldn’t be able to walk very far at all come fall. The same is true of your children’s brains. If this muscle isn’t exercised all summer, it will be difficult to start studies again in the autumn.
Encourage learning through fun activities. Perhaps your kids can join the local summer reading program. Greeley, Loveland, and Fort Collins all offer great summer reading programs for every age group. You can also schedule some museum visits into your summer. Visit the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery or the Denver Art Museum. Plan trips to the zoo for animal lovers and encourage your kids to check out books from the library to learn more about the animals they saw. Learning over the summer doesn’t need to be as organized as school is. It can be hands-on and enjoyable, while still keeping the brain engaged.
Plug Into Clubs And Organized Activities
Another great way to ensure your kids stay school ready is to sign them up for organized activities or have them join clubs. Sports are a great way to keep routine and discipline in your kid’s life even during the summer.
You can also look for community groups they can join that will ensure they stay socially engaged and involved in projects. Check with your local church for summer activities geared towards their age group or your local recreation center. Clubs will offer a similar structure to school, which will help keep your kid accustomed to following rules and being part of a group.
Stay Involved As a Family Unit
Finally, don’t let the busy chaos of summer detract from your involvement as a family unit. Make sure all your kids, young and old, spend time together during the summer months. Keep an active role in their day-to-day life, asking about what they learned, even when school is out. Stay engaged with who their friends are and how they are spending their time. If possible, stick to having at least one family meal a day where you can gather to discuss the day’s events.
Here at Resurrection Christian School, our goal is to ensure your children succeed academically and spiritually. We work hard to create an environment where no student slips through the cracks and where community is our priority. If you are looking for a private school in Loveland, we hope you will schedule a tour to visit our beautiful school soon.
