As the school year winds down, you’re ready for a well-deserved break! But before you dive into those lazy days, there's the dreaded summer slide to consider. Fear not! With a bit of creativity and planning, you can keep your child's mind sharp while still enjoying the summer.
Imagine mornings with backyard science experiments, afternoons of epic reading adventures, and evenings spent stargazing. By blending fun and learning, you can create so many exciting educational moments.
We are here to help you transform this summer into a season of discovery and delight, where the only thing sliding is a waterslide! Let's make this the best summer yet, full of fun, relaxation, and endless opportunities for learning and growth.
Yes! The Academic Summer Slide is Real
According to 2017 research by two associate professors of education, learning and achievement are perishable, with the average student losing a month of academic calendar learning each summer. This summer slide contributes to a more pronounced achievement gap, with older students losing more over the summer than younger ones and experiencing greater academic dips in math than in reading. For Christian homeschool families, this means that maintaining academic progress over the summer is essential to ensure your children continue to grow both intellectually and spiritually. While this may take a little up-front planning time, the benefits will be evident as you resume your normal school year.
15 Helpful Tips + Ready Resources
With the help of the Master Books staff and authors, we've curated an exciting list of 15 tips and a treasure trove of resources to keep your children’s minds sharp and even help them soar academically this summer! You may already have some of these resources on your shelf!
1. Flashcards: Because the research shows that students lose more math skills than reading skills, we recommend spending 5-10 minutes a day going through flashcards to keep those math facts sharp. The Moms of Master Books highly recommend:
2. Practice Handwriting: Regular practice will prevent handwriting from getting sloppy. Here are several ways to keep this skill sharp:
- Copying Scripture or favorite stories from the Bible, poems, etc.
- Journal entries to document the highlights of their summer
- Creating their own story or storybook
- Writing an instructional process for household duties, chores, driving, planning a trip, etc.
3. Worksheets: Simple worksheets can help maintain your child’s learning momentum. Master Books offers the following tools to help your students keep their math and reading skills strong.
- Math Lessons for a Living Education: Practice Makes Perfect - Level 1
- Math Lessons for a Living Education: Practice Makes Perfect - Level 2
- Math Lessons for a Living Education: Practice Makes Perfect - Level 3
- Math Lessons for a Living Education: Practice Makes Perfect - Level 4
- Math Lessons for a Living Education: Practice Makes Perfect - Level 5
- Catch on to Cursive
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Practice Makes Perfect gave us the perfect balance of extra practice and fun activities. I enjoy that the exercises aren't just copies of what was done in the main book. I appreciate the quizzes added in. My daughter LOVED acing her "tests" and was so proud of show them to dad and her siblings." Elizabeth (Practice Makes Perfect Level 1)
4. Reading: Encourage your child to read every day. Visit the library, join summer reading programs, and explore our reading list to create your custom reading challenge.
5. Creative Time: Foster creativity through drawing, painting, and crafting. You could create a space in your home to demonstrate their works of art. You could also have a family gathering so grandparents, family, and friends could celebrate their creativity. Master Books offers these excellent courses giving your students a very creative way to strengthen their mind and skills this summer.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "My daughter loves these art lessons! So glad we got this!" Lara (Living Art Lessons)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Our daughter, Danielle, said, "Everything was awesome and that she wants to do this again". This is great when children wants more and is willing to do it over and over again because it is enjoyable." Terrence & Maxine(Living Art Lessons)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "We are having a great time doing simple art projects together." Erin (Living Art Lessons)
6. Cooking: Use cooking to teach math and science concepts. We are delighted each time we see families post pictures of their recipe success in the Moms of Master Books Facebook group and the Master Books App. You will find cooking learning opportunities in these courses:
7. Educational Outings: Consider scheduling visits to museums, parks, and other educational sites. Many homeschool families love our Elementary Zoology course because they feel like they’ve experienced a trip to the zoo as they go through the material. The course even includes cards you can use on your next trip to the zoo.
8. Nature Journals: Spend time outdoors observing nature and recording findings in a journal. You can create weekly themes for types of discoveries.
9. Letter Writing: Have your kids write letters to extended family members to practice writing skills.
10. Family Garden: Start a garden to incorporate math, science, and problem-solving skills.
11. Virtual Field Trips: Explore new places online without leaving home. One of the Master Books family favorites is the Master Books Academy Elementary Paleontology course where the instructor teaches via video from his Mobile Semisaurus. You can also explore the Creation Museum and Ark Encounter using these fantastic books:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I ordered this book as we prepare for a visit to the Ark Encounter. I wanted my kids to be prepared for what we would see. Wow is this book beautiful! It's just large coffee table style. It shows what you will see and explains history of the Ark, Noah, and animal kinds in the Ark. It explains the logistics of daily operations on the Ark as well. What a treasure!" Julia (Journey Through the Ark Encounter)
12. Learning a Language: Dive into a new language as a family. At Master Books Academy, your family can learn to speak Spanish together using this course. We also offer Intro to Biblical Greek with video instruction for grades 10-12.
13. Reflective Journaling: Keep a daily journal to improve writing and reflection skills. Each student could have their own journal and include artwork in it as well. Parents may enjoy journaling with their students. Just imagine the conversations that could come from both child and parent journaling through the summer events, Bible stories, future plans, and prayers. These vintage styled journals with inspiring quotes throughout could be the perfect place to start journaling.
14. Travel Learning Activities: Will your family be traveling this summer? Use these unique God-honoring atlas resources to make your trips educational and fun!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "This atlas has so many cool facts and pictures. I've been enjoying reading it as much as my kids." Carole (Children's Atlas of the U.S.A)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "This atlas has so many cool facts and pictures. I've been enjoying reading it as much as my kids. We have even decided to go visit a few of the places that are close by. It’s been very fun." Faith (Children's Atlas of the U.S.A)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "This atlas is full of wonderful color photographs. There is so much information contained in the pages, it's hard to believe they could fit it all in! We loved the biomes feature, this will be used year after year in our homeschool." Shannon (Children's Atlas of God's World)
15. Learn and Practice Time Management Skills: Create a fun, flexible schedule that balances learning and leisure. Encourage them to set daily goals, use timers for activities, and reflect on their accomplishments to build a sense of responsibility and independence.
Have questions? More ideas? Meet us in the Master Books app. We have staff ready to help you.