The Summer Slide.. No Not That Kind!

Have you heard of the term "summer slide" from your child's teacher or from other places in the community or online? The end of the school year and start of summer bring about this term in so many different capacities, but what does it actually mean? Basically, the summer slide is the learning loss that can happen if students don't keep up with practicing learned skills over the summer. Think about it- they spend 7-8 hours a day for over 100 days a year in an academic routine, building on knowledge and honing their reading, writing, math and executive functioning skills. Over the summer, camp, swimming, vacations and other fun (and much needed) activities take the place of this practice so it's understandable that kids can be a little rusty going back in September.

The teacher in me wants to say "YES. Kids need to practice a little every day!!!!".

But, realistically summer brings a whole new set of challenges for students and parents with camp and work schedules, playdates, and longer days and nights. SO what can you do? Honestly, start with reading! Spend a little time at night before bed or wherever you can fit it into your day. Read to them, have them read to you, act out stories, listen to audio books in the car on the way to camp, talk about the books your listening to or reading. Practice counting while waiting in line at the amusement park, make lists of what you need from the store together, write letters to friends and family that you haven't seen in awhile. Summer practice doesn't need to be drills and flashcards, especially when little ones are so much more interested in the world around them!

In short, do what you can, practice when and how you can, and keep it fun for everyone! Check out the activities and printables pages for some activities you might want to try this summer and see below for more information on "summer slide".

Resources:

https://www.bgca.org/news-stories/2024/June/5-ways-to-stop-the-summer-slide-and-help-kids-keep-learning/

https://www.pbs.org/parents/summer

Catching Up

It has been a little while since I have made a blog post! I have been working on some other projects and focusing on updating our books, while getting caught up in the busyness of spring and the end of the school year. I am an admin now, but the end of the year craziness is still very much part of my day as the buzz of summer break looms. My hope is to be able to continue to bring you monthly books and fun, educational activities that will help your little one over the summer! That's one of the main projects I am working on in the background, so stay tuned for some easy, Kindergarten-readiness activities coming your way!

Social Emotional Learning (Part 1)

Okay, SEL. This one requires two parts because there is SO MUCH to talk about. This has been a topic of conversation in the education world for several years now. Many of us grew up with "Character Education" and SEL is an extension of that. Many schools actually use SEL curriculums now, such as Second Step or Zones of Regulation. There are a few others but these are what I have seen used in public schools. National University defines it as " the process through which individuals learn and apply a set of social, emotional, and related skills, attitudes, behaviors, and values that help direct students. This includes thoughts, feelings, and actions in ways that enable them to succeed in school".

In early childhood education, the focus of SEL is recognizing and managing emotions, and as we know, young children can have a lot of BIG emotions! In Kindergarten we focused on recognizing and naming feelings, using example scenarios to act out and talk through how to handle situations that deal with these emotions and more. There was a lot of focus on mindfulness, calm down strategies and breathing techniques. That being said, not every program focuses on the same skills, so if you are a homeschooling parent or a prent looking to work on this at home, check your sources and make sure that the program you are following aligns with your family's values.

You can find out more about the basics of SEL here