Preventing Summer Slide: How to Keep Kids’ Academic Progress Intact During Summer Break

While we absolutely adore seeing our kids having carefree fun during the summer, it’s also normal to worry about preserving their academic skills as the months pass. Studies indicate that in fact kids do lose some of their school-year knowledge gains in reading and math during summer break, up to 20-27% in some cases. This phenomenon, sometimes called “summer slide” especially impacts younger children, but can affect those of all ages. Especially after a year of disrupted learning, it is important to be aware of summer slide, and take steps to combat it, all while keeping in mind that kids need to relax and have fun during their downtime, just like adults.

What Can I Do To Help at Home?

• Encourage Reading for Fun: Words come in all kinds of formats, so find a way for your child to enjoy reading. Whether it’s magazines at the park, comic books in the backyard, or using a kindle at the beach, let them be creative about what and how to read. Consider modeling the behavior by taking a break to read yourself.
• Use Screen Time Wisely: Sneak in some education with those video games. Many of them (e.g. Minecraft, Roblox, certain game builders) encourage problem solving and creativity.
• Get Crafty: Lots of kids want to stay in when it is hot. Art projects are great for this! You can throw in some math concepts by folding and cutting geometric shapes or have them write a creative story to go with their original art piece.
• Make a Mess: Find fun experiments you can do in your kitchen to reinforce math and science! Anything with vinegar and baking soda is popular. Or there’s always slime.
• Talk About It: Always ask kids to explain the activity to you as they go. The more they learn to articulate their thoughts aloud, the more prepared they will be for the return to school.

 What Local Resources are Available?

Of course, not everyone has the time or desire to orchestrate all of these activities. You may be working, juggling multiple children, or simply too busy to make it happen. And let’s face it, after more than a year of pandemic living, we could all use some time away from home, children included. As we try to get back to our normal routines, parents are seeking the best option to get the most out of the time and money they spend. Choosing between academic support, extracurricular activities, and loving care can be a difficult decision. That is where Scholars Collective comes in, a new center in Downtown Long Beach that seeks to give you all three at once.

The center is a well-planned space full of stimulating educational activities hand-selected by the experienced teachers running the center. They focus on STEAM through hands-on science and engineering projects and artistic opportunities led by the artist in residence. While children are at the center, parents can rest assured that instead of simply staring at a tablet or TV for hours, their children will be having fun and learning.

Founder of Scholars Collective, Dr. Angela Macias, an Associate Professor of Education at CSUDH, started this center when she saw a need in the community. Dr. Macias said, “Busy parents shouldn’t need to choose between academic growth and fun activities for their children, so we offer both at the same time.”

Scholars Collective is a unique alternative to simple childcare that provides the option to access their services on an hourly basis. With no need to plan weeks ahead booking a babysitter, parents can make the last-minute choice to drop in and only pay for what they use. The best part is the hours. They are open until 9:00pm! Located downtown in the historic Arts Building at 236 E 3rd St. and surrounded by dozens of amazing restaurants, it provides a prime opportunity for a parents’ night out. Take a look to see if Scholars Collective is the right choice for your family.