Academic, Social, and Behavioral Tips to Reduce Summer Slide for Children With Learning Differences

Wednesday, July 27, 2022

Even though the summer is only about 10 weeks long, many children experience the "Summer Slide," during which they start to regress in some of the academic, social, and behavioral skills they developed during the school year. This is expected with every child unless there are activities put in place to ensure that skills are regularly practiced. Check out these simple ways to help your child reduce the effects of the Summer Slide before they arrive back to school this August.

Academics

• Read with your child, or have your child read for 30 minutes each day. Set up a time each day during which the whole family reads so that children see that adults are reading, too. Ask your child what they read, how they feel about what they read, and other pertinent questions related to the text.

• Practice math flashcards, or create word problems for your child to solve based on real-life situations. Have your child practice telling time to determine elapsed time or when events will occur in your daily routine. When out in the community, have your child practice paying for items, so that they can work on money skills along with addition and subtraction to determine change.

• Write letters to a friend, or family member, or have your child write an email to a teacher letting them know about their summer. Children love getting mail delivered to the house, and engaging them in a fun way makes them forget that they are practicing their writing.

Communication/Social Skills

• Many of our students struggle with social skills, especially with all the upgrades in technology. Help your child plan a playdate with classmates, neighbors, or family friends so that they can work on those communication and social skills. Help your child work on in-person social skills rather than exclusively communicating with friends through video games and apps.

Behavior

• In the summer, routines and schedules might become lax, or super hectic due to all the activities, camps, and events going on. Talk to your child about expected and unexpected choices that are made throughout the day or week. Have them reflect on the situation to build off of those experiences. Remember to create routines and structure in your daytime and nighttime routines that your child can be accountable for. Creating routine, structure, and having clear expectations for your child helps eliminate behaviors but also allows for an easier transition back to school.

Fine Motor/Executive Functioning

• Have you noticed that your child's bedroom has become a little more unorganized since summer started? Help your child with executive functioning by creating times to clean and organize. Create specific places for items so that they know where items always go, rather than just throwing items in a drawer or closet.

• Have your children practice cutting their own food, buttering their bread, and coloring pictures to work on Fine-Motor skills.

These are all great tips that can be incorporated into your day to help your child preserve the fundamental skills needed to grow academically, socially, and behaviorally. We are looking forward to a great school year with all of our students and can’t wait to see everyone in August!

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