The Summer Slide



Summer slide (noun): The loss of academic skills and knowledge over the course of summer vacation

Photo by bcrumpler via Flicker

Parents (& educators) have long worried about the things kids “forget” over the summer. This year, on the tail of a pandemic-interrupted school year that launched valiant attempts at unplanned remote learning, parents (& educators) are more concerned than ever before. According to a recent New York Times article, 3/4 of parents of children under 12 and 64% of parents of teens feel that it’s more important to do parent-led educational activities with their children this summer than in previous summers. 

Just 17% of surveyed parents said they do not feel this pressure.

We’re here to tell you that you can take a break. There are a lot of ways to combat summer slide and help boys learn — and none of them have to be painful.

“Relax!” Janet says. “Lower your expectations, give yourself some grace, play and get outside.”

In this episode, Jen & Janet discuss:
  • The truth about summer slide (Spoiler: summer learning losses aren’t as large as many people think)
  • Why you should focus on your son’s mental health instead of academic achievement
  • Decreasing screen-dependency
  • Nature deficit disorder
  • How to get your boy OUTSIDE
  • Natural learning
  • How to keep kids busy in the summer
  • Teaching boys to play independently
  • Helping kids self-entertain
  • Encouraging self-relianceCommon Sense Skills camp
  • How to reinforce math & reading skills
Links we mentioned (or should have) in this episode:

“Nature Deficit Disorder” is Really a ThingNYT article discussed at 8:05

School’s Out. Parental Burnout Isn’t Going AwayNYT article mentioned at 11:04

Pandemic Parenting Was Already Relentless. Then Came Summer — NYT article

How to Prevent Your Kids From Losing What They Learned in School During Summer VacationScholastic article

We’re Running a Common Sense Camp for Our Kids This Summer — article mentioned at about 19:00

Dad, How Do I? — YouTube channel mentioned at 22:35

Summer Survive & Thrive Tips — ON BOYS episode

Garth Brooks: The Road I’m On — documentary mentioned at 24:30