Are you looking for ideas for your summer school students?
If you’re given some flexibility in what to teach, think about what will be engaging, fun, and and a review of the skills they need. Many schools have added enrichment classes for any students interested in doing something fun and different. This gives students a break from the regular academic year and allows them to bond with teachers and other students. They can relax in the summer and explore what interests them in a stress-free setting.
Californian Jennifer Peck, President of Partnership for Children and Youth, believes summer school should be “a joyful experience for kids and give space for kids to be kids.” Peck believes summer school should be a mix of enrichment and academic courses. El Monte City School District in Los Angeles offers summer school classes in dance, art, crochet, and American Sign Language. In the Santa Barbara Unified School District, classes in whale watching, zip-lining, rope courses, and museum trips are offered to any student who wishes to enroll. These districts have seen much less learning loss over the summer, since implementing enrichment classes.
Summer Learning Loss
Many teachers find that it takes up to 3 weeks at the beginning of the school year, to re-teach material from the previous year. They find it necessary to review in order to get students up to speed. This summer set-back occurs when students take a complete break from learning over the summer months. Their academic routines are gone, and academic materials are no longer available. Students who speak another language than English, often revert to their 1st language for the weeks between June and August. They then struggle to get back into the routine of communicating in English when the new school year begins. Summer school allows students to maintain a routine of academic learning while having fun and immersing themselves in topics of their choice.
Summer Reading
Students often lose reading proficiency during the summer. Instead of an academic reading program over the summer, give students books of their choice. Help them find interesting books in their areas of interest. Try reading the first few pages of a book and then stop at a point of tension or when students have become engaged in the story. At that point, if they want to know how the story continues, they will need to pick up a copy and continue reading on their own. Have them read books that have been made into movies and show the actual movie the last week of summer school. Many libraries have great ideas for prizes and games awarded to students who read books for fun.
Summer Math
Math can be a dull and difficult subject to study during the school year. But a fun math project with an interesting theme, can have students engaged and learning while having fun. Hands-on activities can be relaxed during the summer when there is more time to let students explore. Give them Geo-boards, integer chips, play math Bingo, and interact with math games online.
If students have computers, they can work on fun math projects such as this Ratios Unit: Pirate Rescue Adventure
Review of Algebra: Hike the Pacific Crest Trail
Review of Integers: Hike the Appalachian Trail
Review of 6th Grade Math: Earn Your Way to the Summer Olympics
Review of 7th Grade Math: Earn Your Way to the Summer Olympics
Review of 8th Grade Math: Earn Your Way to the Summer Olympics
Get Students Out of their Seats and Moving
Students can work in teams and compete by running to the teacher while solving sequenced math cards. Try these 7th Grade Review Competition Games for Integers, Ratios, Algebra, Geometry, and Probability: Five Math Competition Games
If you’re a teacher and have agreed to teach summer school in lieu of your summer vacation, relax and enjoy this summer. Immersing students in fun activities will keep their brains active and help reduce that summer learning loss.