As a parent, you’re probably familiar with the “summer slide,” where kids forget what they’ve learned during the previous school year. That might not seem like a big deal for kids in preschool or kindergarten, but good habits start early. If you can help your child start beating the summer slide now, it will serve them well later on.
Not sure how to boost your private kindergarten student’s retention this summer? Here are a few tips to help.
Make Time for Reading
You don’t have to turn your home into a summer school to help your child remember what they’ve learned. To help your kindergarten student continue to build on their language skills, you only need to ask them to read for about 15–30 minutes per day.
The secret to getting kids hooked on reading is to let them choose books they’re interested in.
Take your child to the library, let them pick out a few interesting books online, or both. The great thing about the Montessori method is that you can bring it into your home, and encouraging independent learning through reading is a great way to do so.
If your local library has a summer reading program, consider enrolling your child to motivate them. Reading programs often offer prizes and incentives to encourage children to read. Many of them have fun educational programs and activities too.
Make Math Fun
Learning loss can happen across all subjects. However, researchers have found that the summer slide tends to hit harder when it comes to mathematics.
Summer break gives you an opportunity to prevent learning loss and instill a love of math in your little one. As with reading, it’s important to take the time to practice math regularly over the summer. With a little creativity, you can make math fun.
If you want to take the old-school approach, gather up some engaging summer math workbooks for kindergarteners. Another option is to look into age-appropriate math apps. DragonBox is a company that makes math-learning apps for kids of all grade levels. Take some time to choose an app your child will love!
Don’t Underestimate Cooperative Learning
One of the most important facets of Montessori kindergarten is learning as a group. When kids learn together, they build leadership skills, develop empathy, and gain a sense of interconnectedness that can make them more cooperative and self-assured.
Letting kindergarteners learn with others can also take some of the stress off the parents. You might consider forming a learning group with a few of your child’s classmates. Parents can take turns hosting the group and presenting fun learning opportunities.
You don’t have to be an education expert to successfully plan a lesson.
You might, for instance, purchase a STEM learning kit with hands-on experiments and let the kid select an experiment to do at each meeting. Such sessions can be a great way for your child to learn something while making summer memories with their friends.
During the group meetings, make sure to step back and let the kids guide their own learning. When children can move through an experiment with minimal adult assistance, their confidence will soar.
Discover the Montessori Kindergarten Difference
Children are naturally curious, and the Montessori philosophy builds on that curiosity to help kids become lifelong learners. At Montessori Children’s House, we give private kindergarten students the tools they need to succeed in the classroom and beyond.
If you want to learn more about the Montessori method or are ready to enroll your child, don’t hesitate to reach out to us today.
