Summer Learning

This post is sponsored by Sylvan Learning. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I cannot even believe I’m writing this blog post, because that means the school year is almost complete and the kids are another grade older. But this year we definitely had our fair share of challenges, from transitioning to in person school, after homeschooling for a year and a half, the kids in a ton of sports and activities, selling our house, and moving out. But I am so proud of the kids for how well they did this school year and always brought home all A’s and B’s. They are so resilient!! 

But now that summer break is just around the corner, I want to make sure we continue the learning outside of the classroom and at home so they can stay sharp and ahead of their studies. Summer time can be a time to travel, get some extra sleep, hang out with friends, or spend every second outside playing. While we HIGHLY encourage those activities especially travel, Summer is also a great opportunity to strengthen the subjects where your kids might’ve struggled during the school year. But it doesn’t always have to be a formal learning environment that will help them to thrive, it can be outside in the back yard, their bedroom where they feel the comfiest, at the park- really anywhere your child connects with. 

While coming up with a summer learning game plan for the kids, I decided to use available resources to help us out, like Sylvan Learning Centers. Sylvan Learning as a go-to resource for children and parents looking for any additional support as the school year winds down, from tutoring, mentoring, seasonal camps, test prep and even college readiness. 

Within this blog post, I am going to share all the ways in which you can help your child during the Summer so when they arrive back at school come August/September- they are ready to conquer the world, well one grade at a time. 

3 WAYS TO KEEP YOUR CHILD ON TRACK DURING THE SUMMER

1. Appoint a dedicated Mentor for your child: having a mentor helps to build your child’s confidence both in and out of the classroom. I asked my boys who they wanted as their academic mentor, and immediately they said their Aunty Dede. I was really excited they picked her because not only is she super educated with multiple degrees (3 to be exact because I know she’s super proud of it and she’ll read this lol) but because she has been a positive role model since the day they were all born. Prior to asking her to be a mentor, she would always call to check in on the kids and how they are doing with school. So picking her was a no brainer. But if you don’t have an “Aunty Dede,” that’s OK because you can use a family friend, a teacher, or even a Sylvan Learning Mentor. The kids have “mentor Mondays” and that’s when they have their weekly check in with their Aunty Dede, and they read her a couple chapters of whatever book they’re currently reading, do a couple math facts, spit some black history facts, she asks them what they have planned for the week, or she’ll just listen to them ramble about whatever is on their mind. It may seem so simple, but ever since we started doing this since early May, I have seen such a positive shift with the kids, and I love that they’re building a strong relationship but also strengthening their love for learning and building more academic confidence. 
2. Create a learning schedule: I am all about routines, because my kids THRIVE in a good ole’ routine. We get up at the same time everyday, they eat breakfast at the same time, we eat dinner at the same time, and go to bed at the same time. While they are at school, they have a set routine that they adhere to daily. So clearly you can see routines are really important in our lives. So going into the summer months, we will stick to that as much as possible, with lots of free time of course. For example here’s our day on a regular at home suer day:
   • Wake up at 8am
   • breakfast at 8:30am
   • Chores at 9:00am
   • Free Play time at 9:30am
   • Morning Snack at 10:30 am
   • Learning time at 10:45am 
   • Free Play at 11:15am
   • Lunch at 12:00pm
   • Outside Play at 12:30pm
   • Family hands on learning activity at 2:30pm
   • Free Play at 3:30
   • Mentor Check in (0n Monday) at 5:00pm
   • Dinner at 6:00pm
   • Movie/Family TV/Neighborhood walk/ etc at 6:30
   • Bedtime at 9:00pm
3. Have themed days: Having themed days gives the kids something to look forward to every day for our family hands-on learning activity. I actually started doing this when RJ was only 3 years old and it kind of just stuck. But here is a look at our themed days. 
   • Make Something Monday/Mentor Monday: crafts, paint, chalk, tie-dye shirts, science experiment, cards, baking something.
   • Take a Trip Tuesday: the library, museum, hang out with friends, have a picnic, go to theme park, go to the park, go to a state park.
   • Water Day Wednesday: the beach, water park, lake, natural springs, slip n slide, water slide, play with the hose, pool, water balloon fight  
   • Thoughtful/Thinking Thursdays: read books, write a book, bake cookies for grandparents, play with sensory bins, do something nice for somebody. 
   • Fun/Free Friday: Whatever is fun for you and your family, make this the day. for us, it’s going to the movies, and going to Disney. 

And remember, learning should always be fun, so keep that in mind when doing your learning activities with your kiddos over the summer. If you need any additional resources or help when it comes to your children’s summer learning, just know that Sylvan Learning Center is an excellent resource for all your children’s academic needs and goals.