Summer Learning to Keep Student Skills Sharp

As we head into the end of the school year, you’ll be talking about the summer slide with your students and families. Don’t let all of the hard work of this school year slip over the summer! Keep student skills sharp summer learning activities.

Summer is a time to relax and reboot, for teachers and students! Therefore, I hope you take some time for yourself because you deserve it! So do our students. They need this time to be silly, run around, and have fun! But they can also keep learning without even realizing it. Use these three tips to keep student skills sharp this summer.

Summer Learning Tip #1: Read, Read, Read

Kids need to keep reading all summer long! This is a great opportunity for kids to practice selecting books they love and practice reading for enjoyment. How can you help with this? Send home book lists, library resources, and fuel parents with tips and ideas to keep books in kid’s hands. 

I don’t recommend sending home reading response worksheets. Summer is a time for kids to simply spend reading! Instead, send home a book list, local library information, and discussion questions as a resource for parents. 

The more kids read and discuss books, the more they will improve their literacy skills over the summer.

Summer Learning Tip #2: Number Sense

Arm students with tools to increase their number sense over the summer. They don’t need to log on to the computer and practice math facts daily. Instead, have them practice with real-life situations! 

Think about math when you’re adding rocks, subtracting popsicles, or reading the clock for the time to go to the pool!

How can you help with this? Practice these real-world problems at the end of the school year! Kids will remember this and use it over the summer.

Summer Learning Tip #3: Inquiry Critical Thinking

Students should keep exploring and thinking critically all summer long! We want students practicing inquiry skills that will carry over all summer. Kids are curious, and we want to encourage them to ask questions about the world around them.

Parents and caregivers can encourage kids to ask questions about nature, weather, and melting ice cream cones this summer! Asking questions and researching to solve problems will help students develop inquiry and critical thinking skills. Incorporate this into your science lessons so students are continuing to ask questions during the summer.

Summer learning doesn’t have to be difficult or stressful. Teaching students to be critical thinkers that question the world around them will carry over outside of school! 

Most importantly, send home resources that are simple, easy for parents and caregivers to use. Best of all, I made this FREE Keep Summer Skills Sharp resource & reading log you can send home with families!

Grab this freebie today to send home to students!

…because I think you’re awesome for wanting to make sure your students skills stay sharp this summer, I’ve created this freebie for you!

Click HERE or click the image below to grab your copy to send home with families this summer!

Need even more summer learning ideas? Grab these FREE K-2 Summer Problem of the Day math pages!

Do you have more ideas to share? Join the conversation in the Simply Creative Teachers Facebook group!