There’s nothing quite like the start of summer vacation. For most students, it’s the perfect opportunity to kick back, relax, and enjoy a three-month stretch of school-free bliss. While there’s obvious merit to using the summer break for some much deserved rest and relaxation, it’s also important that students stay sharp for the upcoming school year.
Summer learning loss is that potentially treacherous holiday gap in which a student might become fuzzy on the lessons he or she learned during the school year, letting slide all the knowledge he or she spent hours of energy acquiring in the first place.
At Vogel Prep, we’ve discussed the summer learning loss phenomenon before, but here we’ve compiled a helpful list of tips that may aid students in avoiding summer learning loss this season.
1. Dive into a Good Book
Reading for pleasure is a relaxing, entertaining way to unwind this summer, whether poolside or from the comfort of your couch. Diving into a good book stretches the imagination, exercises valuable reading comprehension skills, and builds vocabulary—all of which are lessons usefully applied in the coming school year.
2. Take a Summertime Field Trip
There are plenty of historical and cultural sites in and around the Savannah area that are sure to spark a student’s interest, while allowing him or her to brush up on his or civic knowledge. Likewise, museums provide an ideal venue in which to engage a student’s senses and encourage curiosity.
3. Brush Up On Personal Finances
There’s no better way to instill healthy habits at an early age than by introducing a student to practical financial planning. Budgets, cash flow, taxes, savings, the stock market—all yield important lessons that can be utilized for a lifetime. Plus, learning to use these tools encourages students to apply math and reasoning skills in a real-world capacity.
4. A Summer Camp for All Interests
If summer camp is in the budget this season, it can be the perfect venue to get back in touch with academia, or perhaps to further explore an existing interest or hobby. Not only does summer camp provide a much-welcome social venue for young students, it also encourages exploration of nearly any subject under the sun. Does your student love marine biology? Swimming? Computer programming? Theater? Baseball? No matter the taste, a Scottsdale summer camp of interest is surely out there.
5. Take a Hike in our beautiful State of Arizona
Studies show that regular physical activity can boost mood, energy, and motivation. Even if exercise doesn’t directly target academics, it can surely help develop positive body image, self-discipline, and a healthy route for stress relief. Shooting for just a half-hour a day of physical activity this summer can make a world of difference by the time the next school year rolls around.
6. Give Back to Your Community
Community service is a rewarding activity that allows young students to practice empathy, expand his or her horizons, and potentially learn new skills. No matter where a student chooses to volunteer this summer, engaging with your community in a meaningful way builds character and maturity, which also positively impacts a student’s self-awareness and discipline for the long term.
Taking advantage of these tips may be the key to creating a memorable summer—so that your student arrives at school this fall full of meaningful experiences, healthy habits, and sharper than ever. Don’t forget, there are plenty of summer learning options here at Vogel Prep Educational Services, from one-on-one tutoring, to ACT and SAT test prep, to small class learning experiences. No matter a student’s learning style, academic level, or goals, there’s room to grow this summer at Vogel Prep.
Whatever your student’s academic needs may be, Vogel Prep Educational Services has a summer program that can help. Contact us today at 480.990.7374 or via email at info@vogelprep.com.
