Seven ways to help your children make the most of the summer term
The summer holidays are almost here! But before they arrive your children have several weeks of school left. Here’s how to make the most of them.
Most children are looking forward to the long hot summer holidays ahead of them – and when the sun is out they can seem tantalisingly close.
However, before that kicks off there is a good six or seven weeks of learning. And this is the perfect time to take stock of the academic year your child has just had and prepare for their next big step.
Seven ways to help your children make the most of the summer term
Charlotte Gater, Head of Curriculum at tuition provider, Explore Learning, shares seven tips to help your child make the most of the final few weeks of the school year, while enjoying the class trips and sports days that the summer term will bring.
1) Ask what they’d like to achieve
Talk to your child about something they would like to achieve at school by the summer. This could be anything from becoming a free reader to being faster in the 100m at sports day.
Then work together to reach their goal, praising the effort they put into it. Having a fearless attitude towards tackling challenges will see them progress in many areas.
2) Encourage them to start a scrapbook
Encourage your child to make a scrapbook of all the exciting things they have done in the last half term. This can be on the computer or handwritten – whatever inspires them.
Get them to collect leaflets, postcards or photos on their trips and then they can write about what they did. They could even turn this into a blog.
3) Use outdoor time as a chance to learn
As the weather gets hotter and we head outside to enjoy the sunshine, use this as an opportunity for learning.
Heading to the park? Get your children to work out what time it will be in 45 mins when you need to leave. Having a picnic? Ask them to do some multiplication by working out how many items you need to take if everyone needs 10 grapes, three rolls, two cheese sticks etc.
Have story time outside; reading to children and reading for pleasure is clearly linked to attainment. Books Beyond Bedtime, a study by Oxford University Press, showed that reading together for just 10 mins a day makes a major difference to your child’s progress, so make sure they keep this up over the summer term!
4) Promise them a reward
Work towards a treat in the holidays to keep your child focused. Set a challenge for them to come home and teach you one new thing they’ve learnt that day, this will help to consolidate their learning.
5) Look for local resources
Find out what’s on in your local area to support your child in this important final term. For example, lots of libraries will have workshops to engage your child in learning that are usually free.
6) Plan ahead to avoid summer learning loss
If you want to keep your child on track or even get a head start for next school year, then investigate tuition centres in your area.
By keeping up learning in some form during the holidays (and there are plenty of ways you can make learning fun) you can help avoid the dreaded ‘summer slide’.
7) Set them a goal for the holidays
Lastly, when you get your child’s school report let them know you are proud of what they have achieved this school year and then set a summer goal to keep them engaged with learning over the holidays.
Read more tips to help your children learn
You can read more helpful advice on education and parenting in these articles:
- Is homework good or bad for children’s development?
- Why are after school activities so important for children?
- How to help your kids avoid summer learning loss
- How to help your child manage exam stress
Explore Learning has 126 centres located across the UK, providing English and maths tuition to children aged four to 14.
