Summer Slide Rescue: 3 Things to Do Before School Starts
Do you have a gut feeling that your child is slipping further behind this summer? You may not be wrong! Estimates show that kids lose a significant amount of learning over the summer months, and it can take months for them to catch back up (if they do). The “summer slide” may set your child up for more frustration and stress at the start of the next school year, but there are things you can do to help the transition go more smoothly!
#1: Assess Cognitive Skills
You wouldn’t send your child to school without their backpack, laptop, pencils, or other critical school supplies. Yet many parents aren’t aware of the cognitive “toolbox” their child possesses. Each brain has a unique network of cognitive strengths and weaknesses that either make learning a breeze or a struggle.
We encourage all parents to think of these cognitive skills as essential tools for learning. If your child has weaknesses in one area, they may be able to get by (like using a screwdriver as a hammer), but it’s not the easiest or most efficient way to do it.
Before you send your child back into the jungles of the school year, make sure they have the tools they need. A cognitive skills assessment is the best way to see where they are so you can predict struggles or successes for the year ahead.
#2: Hope for the Best, Plan for the Worst
Working on your and your child’s mindset about school is so important. Especially if they don’t particularly enjoy school, working together as a family to reframe their thought processes and set goals is an important step before school starts back up. This can look like…
- Talking as a family about how you want this school year to look and feel
- Addressing concerns and creating plans to limit stress and overwhelm
- Positive affirmations and reminders of their worth, regardless of grades or performance
- Setting small, tangible goals to celebrate throughout the school year
Click here for more important questions to ask your kids before school starts >>
Let’s be realistic. You know your child. You know your child’s struggles. And after a summer break, it’s unlikely these things have just “gone away.”
Instead of just pushing, pushing, pushing through another school year, have a plan in place in case they DO struggle again. That way it won’t catch you off guard and you’ll know you have the support you need to guide your child through it.
Brain training is a great option to have in your back pocket. While being proactive about building cognitive skills may help reduce certain struggles in focus, reading, remembering, and learning, using it as a tool for your family when things get hard again is just as valuable.
#3: Start Mirroring School Structure Now
The “shock” of returning to school after a summer break can be just as disorienting as the effects of a summer slide. There are new schedules, new teachers, new subjects, new peers to interact with… and it’s a lot for kids to juggle.
Start doing what you can now to set them up for an easier transition. Some things you could do include:
- Gradually introducing a school-year schedule for waking up, going to bed, and activities
- Working on activities like reading, puzzles, math practice, and other learning methods to start their brains back up again
- Visiting the school as soon as you can so they can get comfortable with where their classes are and what those first few days will look like
Every Transition Opens Up New Possibilities
Whether the summer slide got you completely off track or your child is able to easily glide into the year ahead, transitions are a great time to reassess as a family.
What things could be easier? How do we want this year to look? What if my child COULD focus, read more confidently, remember what they learned, think quickly to be able to keep up, etc.?
These kinds of questions are valuable to discuss as a family, and at LearningRx we are happy to help guide you in ways the schools may not be able to. Our personalized approach allows every individual to examine their own cognitive strengths and weaknesses so we can create a plan to make focusing, remembering, and learning easier.
