The Role of Routine: Behavioral Summer Slide

Wednesday, July 30, 2025
Posted by Pete

Summer slide can affect many things and next we will take a look at the effects on behavior. Behavioral summer slide refers to the potential decline in the positive social and emotional habits and responses that children may experience and display.

It’s important to maintain structure over the summer by creating daily routines and engaging activities for the child. Remember to create daytime and nighttime routines that your child can be accountable for. Creating routine, structure, and having clear expectations for your child helps eliminate less desirable behaviors but also allows for an easier transition back to school.

How Does Summer Slide Occur and Affect Behaviors?

Change in Routine: The transition from a structured school environment to a less structured summer can lead to increased irritability, defiance, and anxiety.

Increased Screen Time: Children might be drawn to screens given more free time over the summer. This can cause disrupted sleep patterns, as well as feelings of isolation when not interacting with friends or participating in social activities.

Pressure To Provide Engagement: Parents may feel pressure to keep children constantly entertained and engaged, which can lead to stress plus burnout for both parents and children. Remember, children benefit from unstructured play, quiet time, and moments of calm just as much as organized activities.

Check out our previous blogs for activities to help with summer slide!
Stay Social: Managing Summer Slide
Beyond the Books: Summer Slide Tips

A more consistent summer routine can help prevent summer slide and that can aid with regulation as well as being ready to learn once they return to school. For more information on summer slide, check out sites like edutopia, IXL Learning, and Scholastic.com

Read More Like This

4 Mistakes Parents Make When Choosing a Special Needs Private School

Aug 05, 2020

Judging by Appearances While the facility may look inviting, and the teachers and administrators ma...

Continue Reading

Secret doors, thousands of books, hundreds of windows, and a rich history of tradition. Lesser-known facts about JB that might surprise you!

Apr 14, 2021

If school buildings could talk, imagine all of the knowledge they could share - decades of teachers,...

Continue Reading

Teachers Who Believe In Our Mission Support Students In and Out of The Classroom

May 17, 2021

All of our teachers understand that when it comes to Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), the mo...

Continue Reading