We’ve all heard the term summer slide before. It’s the fear many teachers and parents have as their students embark on a summer vacation filled with baseball, softball, bike rides, camping, and so much more.
No one’s looking to take those fun activities away. After all, that’s what summer is all about, but students retaining the information they learned over the course of a school year is also vitally important to academic growth and development. As summer vacation draws near, here are some ideas to help students not only have a fun and enjoyable summer, but also keep learning and retention at the forefront.
Summer Reading
No matter what age, reading is one of the easiest ways to keep students’ minds engaged. Even for the busiest student, there’s always time to pick up a book and read before bedtime or to relax after band practice. Many schools and local libraries offer summer reading programs students can participate in to earn prizes and rewards over the summer break. Scholastic also provides a summer reading program online during the summer months that encourages students to read and celebrate their achievements. This is another great way for students to stay sharp and decrease the skill gap lost over the summer.
Volunteer and Internship Opportunities
For the older students, there’s no better time to take advantage of some extra free time than by volunteering or applying for an internship to work in a desired field. Not only do these opportunities help students develop job and leadership skills, but exposing them to potential career opportunities and creating real-world connections will only strengthen their résumé. Schools can also reach out to local businesses as the school year winds down to gauge interest in volunteer and internship opportunities for students over the summer months.
Summer Camps
What would summer be without summer camps? This is where students get to showcase their educational freedom in hands-on activities they have a passion for. Many summer camps emphasize less instructional-based learning, but rather, informal, hands-on learning that makes sure to spark an interest and have some fun along the way. Whether it’s a camp on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) coding, performing arts, etc., encouraging students to advance their education by participating in camps that interest them is time well spent.
While local zoos, museums, churches, etc., often host summer camps, it’s not uncommon for schools to host their own camps over the summer months for various programs and activities. In Sycamore’s integrated school management system, schools have the option to add a secondary site for their summer camp program. The power of Sycamore’s online school management system allows schools to separate their regular academic school site with the summer camp site. With school year calendars, classes, and students likely not having a direct correlation to a summer camp site, schools have the organization and structure they need in their own summer camp site to make it a successful summer of learning and fun.
To learn more about how Sycamore School can add a summer camp site for your school, please schedule a demo to start your free trial today.
