6 Tips: Summer Planning for Parents
As the school year winds to a close and your child gazes longingly toward the summer months, it is a good time to begin thinking about how to keep them learning over the summer amid fun activities you might have planned. We’ve compiled a list of general tips for summer planning for parents to keep them on track.
Summer Planning for Parents Tip #1: Check in With Your Child’s Teacher
Before the school year ends, check in with your child’s teacher to see their academic standing. There may be skills your child has not quite mastered or areas of weakness that could be strengthened.
Ask your child’s teachers what they’d recommend doing to work on those skills over the summer months and also some general summer planning for parents tips that your child could benefit from. We recently published an article about parent-teacher conferences that may help you maximize this face-to-face time with your child’s teachers.
Summer Planning for Parents Tip #2: Keep a Schedule
One of the more difficult aspects of the summer months is the lack of routines the school day otherwise provides. If your child is not enrolled in a summer program during the day, it can be easy for them to fall out of a normal routine.
Sit down with your child before the summer begins to set clear expectations of how their days should look. Help your child make a clear schedule of what they will do throughout the day, when to wake up, and when to go to bed. While summer routines don’t need to be elaborate or finely detailed, they can at least establish some clear expectations of what your child should do each day.
If you’re looking for guidance, check out some of Edmentum's Organization & Wellness Planners.
Summer Planning for Parents Tip #3: Keep Up the Learning
Going along with the schedule idea, set clear times during the day when there can be learning and review. Online courses like Exact Path (K-12) can provide quality, age-appropriate content for your child that matches what they learn during the school year.
Within your schedule, creating 15- to 30-minute blocks of time where your child has focused learning will make a difference in the long run if done consistently. Check out our Marzano-validated best practices for online learning.
Summer Planning for Parents Tip #4: Take Educational Outings
Learning doesn’t have to be restricted to the home. Take educational outings to places like your local history, science, or art museum. Learn something new and let your child explore a topic of interest. Even vacations and trips can cultivate learning; engage your child by asking them to research the area you will visit and its local history.
Summer Planning for Parents Tip #5: Read, Read, Read
Cultivate a love of reading by taking regular trips to the library. Let your child choose books and get recommendations from the children’s or youth librarian. Read alongside your child and encourage a love of reading by exposing them to many great books.
Reading a lot of books can also help your child beat the summer slide. One psychology study revealed that children given access to books over the summer perform 35–40 percent better on reading achievement tests than those without access to books. Keep track of reading with these fun, printable Edmentum bookmarks.
Summer Planning for Parents Tip #6: Encourage Hobbies and Passion Projects
Summer is an excellent time for children to explore hobbies or pursue passion projects they may not have had time for during the school year. Whether it's painting, coding, gardening, or learning a musical instrument, encourage your child to dedicate some time each day to their interests. Designate a specific area in your home where your child can immerse themselves in their hobbies and projects without distractions and provide resources and opportunities for your child to explore various interests. Online resources like DIY.org are designed to inspire creativity and skill-building in children through a wide range of hands-on activities and projects.
Summer Planning for Parents Tip #7: Volunteer and Give Back to the Community
Summer offers a great opportunity for children to learn about empathy, compassion, and social responsibility by volunteering in their community. Involve your child in the process of selecting volunteer opportunities and research local volunteer opportunities that align with your child's interests and values. Whether it's participating in a local beach cleanup, volunteering at a food bank, or helping out at an animal shelter, engaging in meaningful volunteer work can be both educational and fulfilling for children.
Summer Planning for Parents Tip #8: Have Fun Together
Lastly, have a little fun with your children. It is summer, after all. Playtime has all sorts of amazing benefits, so be sure to let those summer days be filled with lots of fun in the sun. Remember, a little "do nothing" time is good for everyone. This might some counterintuitive, but penciling in some lazy time is absolutely a good summer planning tips for parents.
Looking for more tips and ideas to help your children maintain healthy habits over the summer break? Explore our article, Promoting Healthy Habits During Summer Break which dives into 5 great tips for parents to start planning an active, nutritious summer for your family.