It’s summertime, and children are a lot more into unstructured fun than they are in the faint memories of school work and learning.  As parents, there is a concern that three months of summer break will not only dull the minds of our children but turn them to mush.  It is possible, even halfway through the summer, to create an environment at home that not only provides a plan for brain usage and stimulation, but also discipline to children who have shown little interest in academic enrichment this summer.  Here are some steps to preventing (or slowing) summer brain drain in children.

• Propose a daily enrichment schedule.  Whether it is Monday through Friday or even 7 days a week, plan some learning structure for your children at home.  Depending on the age of your children and your family’s habits, you may wish to schedule a half hour to an hour either in the morning, after lunch, or before or after dinner.  The schedule can certainly be flexible, but a consistent daily routine will provide your kids with the direction and follow-through they need.
• Establish an enrichment routine.  Once you’ve created a schedule that includes time for some academic calisthenics, you may want to establish a routine for learning that includes a variety of subjects such as reading, writing, math, science, and history. Here is a sample.
  • Have your child read for a specified amount of time and then write about what he or she just read.  If your child still needs help with reading and writing, you will have to be more involved and will need to make sure you are available.
  • Watch a YouTube video about a math concept (such as a adding fractions) and then do a worksheet or two.
  • Watch a documentary (there are many on Netflix), and then take a field trip or do a research project to learn more.
• Make enrichment enriching.  There is a world of information and resources available for learning at home.   Summer learning does not have to cost or cost much.  Here are some places to find materials.
  • First stop, the public library. Make this a part of your weekly routine. Children can choose from hundreds of books, which makes reading more fun. Best of all, it is free.
  • There are some inexpensive workbooks and materials you can pick up at a dollar store or used book store.
  • There is a never-ending supply of free resources on the internet. There are a number of resources for children of all ages that provide even whole lesson plans for free. There are many online math games your kids can play that are not only educational, but fun.
  • For printable worksheets, just type in “free math worksheets” in your browser’s search and you will get numerous sites covering grades K-12.
• Work through the resistance.  It is natural for children to want to skip summer structure.  However, offering choices for enrichment and providing fun topics will help to create a positive attitude. The hardest part is likely our own discipline to follow through.  Feel free to switch things up and make one of the days a fun project day for the hour.  The goal is simply to keep the wheels turning so they don’t get squeaky!

Do you plan enrichment for your children (or even yourself) during the summertime? What are your best tips for preventing summer brain drain?