Thursday 5 July 2018

Summer Learning Loss

Summer learning loss isn't something that poses much of a problem for most home educators. Many families are fully child-led and don't follow specific curricular or have specific times of day for learning. And even if they do, lots of these families are year-rounders, taking breaks as and when it suits them rather than sticking to school holidays. But for some families, especially those who have some children in school and others out, school holidays play a big part in their lives and summer learning loss can sill happen. I found out the hard way when my home educated kids once asked to do the summer holidays as if they were at school. After a six week break from any kind of formal learning, it took them two whole weeks to settle back into their routine and be able to move forward with their studies. They found it so difficult that they asked never to do it again!
Exploring The North Wind & The Sun
Summer learning loss happens because children have six weeks away from their regular routines as they spend time with their families or in holiday clubs. They forget a lot of what they have been learning in school and often complain of boredom as they are struggle with the lack of regularity. It can set them at a real disadvantage when they go back to school in September. You'll be glad to hear that you can help them keep learning by having some light routine to your days during the holidays and by engaging in educational activities with your children.
Understandably, they want a break from anything that looks like school text books or exercise books, and you want to provide them with activities that they will enjoy. This is where Picture Book Explorers come to the rescue. Each pack is filled with suggestions for hands-on activities and discussions that can be used in daily focussed family time. Even by simply reading the book and doing just one activity every day you will be helping your child to keep learning through the summer holidays, tackling boredom at the same time. By engaging with your child in these activities you will be stoking their love of learning because they will be having fun with their family and creating special memories to treasure.

Exploring Oscar Cat-about-town
Extend the adventure by visiting places of interest that tie in with the PBE theme. You'll find some suggestions in the packs, or you may have your own ideas of what's available locally. (I'd love to know about them, if you do.) Expect to go off-piste as your child becomes interested in new ideas and wants to delve deeper into new topics.  Visit the local library together, pick up books on the subjects covered in the packs and select more books written by the same author as the picture book you are exploring.

Why not create a souvenir scrapbook of your summer learning? You can add their artwork, any photographs you take, postcards of places you visit, entry tickets, cuttings from leaflets, newspapers and magazines, and any completed notebooking pages or minibooks from the PBE pack. Remember, the aim is to have fun as a family whilst learning, so read the pack before you start and select the activities carefully, choosing the ones that you know your child will love :) Keep it playful and light-hearted and be prepared to follow your child's lead as they take you on a journey of learning and love.


Exploring I Took The Moon For a Walk

Happy Exploring!





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