The summer holidays are the biggest school holiday of the year. As much as they provide a well-needed break for our children, many parents can worry about the break having a detrimental impact on their child’s learning.

Some children may struggle to maintain their confidence over the summer holidays which holds them back when they start school again in September. Luckily, there are some steps that you can actively take to help them stay on top of their learning whilst giving them the break they deserve.

Here are just some of the ways that you can encourage learning both in and around the home.

Encourage Reading

We live in a world where technology has taken over. It is now more common than ever for our children to be glued to their PC’s, tablets and laptops as their primary form of entertainment. Throughout the summer holidays these devices can take over, but it is hugely important to take time out for educational activities like reading. You can easily make reading a fun activity. Maybe you can take a walk down to your local library or read a book that is based around your child’s interests.

Reading has a huge number of benefits and can really build your child’s self-esteem whilst helping them develop vocabulary and communication skills. So, it is important to try and encourage this as much as possible throughout the holidays.

Build Self-Esteem

Self-esteem is hugely important in encouraging your child’s mental development. The summer holidays can be a great time for you to highlight what your child is good at and praise them for their achievements. The holidays also offer plenty of time to help them build confidence in areas they struggle in. For instance, your child might have trouble with reading. When they complete a book, it is important to praise them for it as it gives them the confidence that they can do this again in the future.

Low self-esteem can be detrimental to your children’s education. It is important to do what you can to convince them that they are capable. So, when they do return to school, they have the confidence to take on subjects that may once have intimidated them.

Hire An Online Tutor

Teaching is not an easy job, especially if you aren’t trained, and it can be difficult to know how to help your children with specific subjects. The school holidays can be a great time for your child to get in some extra tutoring with topics they are struggling with. Not only will this help them in their return to school in September, but it will also help increase their confidence.

Luckily, you can hire a tutor online from organisations like Tutor House. They have tutors across a number of subjects. For example, if your child is struggling with maths, you can hire a Maths tutor to help them get in some extra practice so they can return to school without the fear of falling behind.

Conduct Writing Activities

Writing is an essential component in your child’s literacy capacity. It encourages them to use their creative minds and teaches them vital communication skills. Throughout the school holidays it’s a good idea to encourage your children to practice their writing skills. Maybe set them a fun task such as writing a letter to their future self or even something as simple as writing out your shopping list. Writing is a great way to nurture cognitive growth and encouraging it throughout the holidays will increase your child’s engagement with it.

Build Independence

For some children, the thought of going/returning to school can be quite daunting. To help with this, we should try and encourage independence where we can. If your child asks you to do something for them in the home, instead of doing it for them, show them how they can do it for themselves. It may take longer to get the task in hand complete, but it teaches them valuable life lessons which they can use.

This helpful article gives some useful advice on how to teach your children to become more independent and some of them may work for you. Remember, this step is all about patience. Teaching independence takes time.

Improve Mental Agility

Mental agility indicates the way our children think, learn and absorb new information. During the school holidays it can be a smart idea to base your activities around improving mental agility. Counting is a great example, and you can apply this to a lot of everyday activities. If you are going to a shop, ask your child to count out how much money you need to pay for a specific item. Board games are also a useful method and can provide fun for the whole family, encouraging them to take time out from electronics and engage in conversation whilst problem-solving.

Take Educational Trips

Education doesn’t have to be confined to the home. If you are planning a family day out, it can be a good idea to make it an educational one. A trip to a museum or zoo can be a great way to let your kids have fun whilst learning at the same time. You could even ask them to write down a diary entry describing how their day went and what they learnt.

There are plenty of low-cost educational activities for your family to do during the summer holidays that won’t break the bank. Even a walk around your local park can be an enriching experience. Use this as a means to explore and document wildlife along the way. A day out can be great as it encourages your child to enjoy a new experience and even push them outside their comfort zone. Although you know the day out is educational; you child will be having so much fun that they probably won’t even realise how much they will take away from the day on an educational level – priceless.

Understand The Importance of Speaking and Listening

Speaking and listening are two powerful tools. Engaging in conversations with your child – particularly over the summer when they have plenty of time to kill – can help enhance their vocabulary and teach them words that they may never have heard before. However, don’t make it too complex or risk confusing them. Taking turns in conversation and listening to your child when they speak teaches them to do the same for you. This will be hugely beneficial for them when they return to school and are learning new social skills.

There are so many speaking and listening activities and you don’t have to travel far online to find some inspiration. Who said learning couldn’t be fun during the holidays?

Encourage Relaxation

It is surprising how much you can incorporate education into your child’s everyday life. From writing the weekly shopping list to counting money in a purse, there are a vast number of activities that you can do to keep your child’s brain active throughout the summer holidays.

That said, it is important to note that the holidays are there for a reason. Give your child the break that they deserve and try not to burn them out before the school year has even begun. Sometimes it is ok to put that book down and spend a fun afternoon in the park instead.