SUMMER BREAK LEARNING
TIPS TO KEEP STUDENTS SHARP

For many, summer is a time of relaxation, vacation, and getting outside. I know I endure the rest of the year, just so I can get to summer, and I definitely felt that way when I was in school. No matter if you’re in elementary school or college, summer break is special, providing a true rest between school years.

But the break is long and you don’t want to rot away and lose what you learned! It is an art to balance rest, disconnect and learning during summer so that you can keep active during summer break. Learning exercises for summer vacation are more important than you think.

There’s nothing worse for teachers than spending the first few weeks of the new school year reteaching what students have forgotten from the previous year which puts them behind on their curriculum from the beginning. Summer learning loss has always been a challenge, and even governments are trying to give summer break tips for students so that no time is lost.

But the key for learning during summer is to keep it exciting and fun! Students need a school break for a reason, and while we don’t want them to get behind, we also don’t want them to get burned out.

Here are a few strategies for students of all ages to keep active during summer break:

“Trick” Kids into Learning During Summer

As crazy as this may sound, the key is to “trick” students into learning during summer vacation. Even if they may enjoy it, students endure the pressure of school all year and need the brain break. They deserve the freedom to rest and do whatever they want to do, so some summer break tips for students should definitely be snuck in if they’re going to stick. No matter what it is, the key is to keep a certain level of challenge and intellectual curiosity to keep brains stimulated and engaged to keep active during summer break.

Make Summer Reading Lists Exciting

Experts say that kids only really need 15-30 minutes of reading a day to keep their brains sharp during summer. So, this makes reading one of the best exercises for summer vacation!

A summer reading list can be such a drag when it’s filled with books that need an expert to understand and there’s an expected test or quiz when you get back to school. Unfortunately, these lists are unavoidable, but there are some summer break tips for students to make them fun! Read a particularly boring book with a buddy and share what you thought the stupidest thing was in every chapter (it’ll make you laugh and make you remember details from the book), or, make a competition out of who can read the fastest.

Even if you don’t have a required list to work with, summer reading is still one of the best exercises for summer vacation and almost all public libraries have summer reading lists, programs, or competitions for all levels of students, up to adults.

Write Your Own Stories

In addition to reading together, a great way to stimulate learning during summer is to make up and write down stories. Whether you share them or not, writing your own stories is an amazing way to stimulate creativity and keep your brain not only engaged, but productive at the same time, so that when it’s time to go back to structured learning at school, there’s no adjustment period.

Of course, not everyone is a writer, but summer is filled with out of the ordinary experiences, travel, time with friends and family, and stories around the camp fire that are all exciting. Keep active during summer break by crafting your extraordinary days into short, fun, punchy stories. The freedom, fun, and skills that you foster through writing enjoyable stories are seamlessly carried over to writing in school.

Discover Something New Together

This may sound broad and vague, but that is exactly the point! Education exercises for summer vacation should not be rigid because then students would dread going back to school. Discovering something new together can be anything from learning a new language to cooking a new recipe to planning a vacation (whether you go on it or not).

All of those actions engage your brain, introduce you to new things, and make you excited about what you’re doing, hopefully giving you a sense of pride and accomplishment when you’re through. And working with someone to discover these new things together adds a completely new dimension to the exercise through teamwork and sharing an experience. This will help you keep active during summer break while enjoying learning during summer since you can choose your new project and learn something new on your own terms with your own partner in crime instead of what is required of you in school.

Even if you’re not a student, you can be one’s new discovery buddy which is an amazing and fun way to support education.

NARA Education Encourages Learning During Summer

At NARA Education, we believe that students need a rest in the summer to get out in their communities and put into practice what they learned during the year. Not only can they see how their new knowledge translates into real life, but they can get excited to share what they learned. Staying excited about learning is one of the most important summer break tips for students.

The strategy around our virtual schools, however, is that learning, even for young children, can be done anytime, anywhere, by anyone on their own schedule. Our software contains the reading and activities needed to stimulate brains in a fun and exciting way, just like learning during summer. We strongly believe that education empowers individuals and communities, so keeping sharp during summer break is essential.

Conclusion

Summer may be a time of rest and rejuvenation, but you must keep active during summer break to keep your brain stimulated, open, and excited about learning. There are many strategies to “trick” yourself or kids into learning during summer, like turning boring reading lists into hilarious catchups, writing stories of what happens during the wild and free summer days, and discovering a new project or topic with a friend or partner.

Help us combat summer learning loss in super fun ways! Donate to NARA Education today.

About Author

Ilona Sindhu

Ilona is a writer focused on Old Norse Mythology, drawing from her Hungarian, Pakistani, and Texan roots. She holds a BA in Dramaturgy and Theatre History from NYU, an MS in Religion and Literature from the University of Edinburgh, and is currently working on her PhD. After working in theatre, dance, finance, and academia, her work blends myth, culture, and storytelling across borders.