What is the ideal 2022 summer schedule for a school-aged child? A little learning, a lot of movement, and a heavy dose of play.

It is May and nearing the end of the school year, so most education blogs targeting parents write the obligatory article on the “Summer Slide.” Of course, the Summer Slide, or Summer Brain Drain, is the loss of learning and/or regression of academic skills a child experiences over the summer months. 

But this summer – the summer of 2022 – seems like a perfect time for parents to rethink their child’s summer schedule. Perhaps reevaluate what is important for your child to achieve during the summer months. While the threat of learning loss is real, there is a bigger menace out there targeting your child: a mental health crisis.

As the school year comes to a close, may we suggest parents focus on or redefine a new North Star: a relaxed, confident and mentally healthy child. Because the statistics about children and mental health are scary. The National Alliance on Mental Health states that 20% of youth ages 13-18 live with a mental health condition; 11% of youth have a mood disorder; and 8% of youth have an anxiety disorder. The statistics for LBGQT+ children are even more frightening. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these numbers! Social isolation, job security of parents, and loss of loved ones are a few of the reasons why children’s anxiety and depression have escalated.

How should parents approach this summer? In a word: balance. As the amazing author Robert Fulgham said, “Be aware of wonder. Live a balanced life – learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.” This quote is the perfect North Star for this summer of 2022.

Summer Slide stats

Much has been written about the Summer Slide, including which students it affects and how. Most reasonable people can agree that if a child does not read or write something over the summer, their language skills will regress. The same is true in math if no computation or work with numbers occurs either.

In the article “What we know and what we’re learning” by Megan Kuhfeld, the author shares some research from recent studies. The first study, “School’s out: The role of summers in understanding achievement disparities,” was recently published in the American Educational Research Journal and examined summer learning loss across grades 1–8. The study found the average student lost 17-34% of the previous year’s learning gains over summer break; and students who lose ground over one summer are more likely to lose ground in the ensuing summers.

A Southern Methodist University study conducted by Chalie Patarapichayatham, PhD, ambitiously attempted to parse out Summer Slide statistics from COVID-19 Slide statistics.  Not surprisingly, he found that students performed lower throughout the 2020-2021 school year, when many schools were employing remote or hybrid learning models. In reading, students experienced a Summer Slide in some grades, but all students experienced a COVID-19 Slide. In math, all students experienced a Summer Slide and COVID-19 Slide. And the study found that students lost their math ability more rapidly than their reading ability, and the loss was larger in upper elementary students.

Create a summer routine with lots of flexibility

So, how do you balance the need for academics to keep your child from experiencing summer learning loss and the clear call for a mental health reset? By creating a routine that has lots of flexibility that includes some learning, some movement and some play.

Incorporate lots of exercise and movement

Children do not seem to be getting the necessary exercise they need for a healthy lifestyle. Each day kids needs to be getting their heart rate up. How do you determine whether your child is actually doing enough? Turn to the CDC.

Exercise intensity levels from the CDC are broken down like this: On a scale of 0 to 10, where sitting is a 0 and the highest level of activity is a 10, moderate-intensity activity is a 5 or 6. When children do moderate-intensity activity, their heart beats faster, and they breathe much harder than when they are at rest or sitting. Vigorous-intensity activity is a level 7 or 8.

Harvard School of Health – and who doesn’t trust an Ivy League institution – says that children need 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise every day, though it does not need to be done all at once. It could be 10 minutes bursts with vigorous level exercise at least 3 days a week.

If your child plays a sport, chances are they are meeting the movement requirement. However, if your chid does not play on a team, you need to find ways to get them moving. This article from Nemours Children’s Health has some wonderful tips to get your child active.

Sprinkle in some learning

As mentioned above, the Summer Slide is real and children will lose ground over the summer if they do not engage in some form of learning. And while our focus is on resetting your child’s mental health, they still need to keep their skills active; falling behind academically can be very stressful for students. Some research suggests that reading as few as four books over the summer is enough to stave off learning loss. And, as referenced above, math takes a hit too. Math workbooks – while well-intentioned – do not fight off the Summer Slide. Children need higher level challenges with numbers. Great Schools has some activities to keep the kids counting over the summer.

Don’t forget the play

Too often children are over-scheduled during the school year. In addition to meeting the demands of being a successful student, some children balance a multitude of after-school activities. So while you are acting as a coach and blowing your whistle to get your kid moving, and playing teacher and demanding your child read, do not forget good old-fashioned play. 

Believe it or not, it is okay for your child to be bored! Because out of that boredom can emerge creativity. Also, it will place your child in the present, where they can focus on the here and now. The word “mindfulness” has gotten a lot of attention recently and for good reason: by allowing your child to sit with their thoughts, they can truly focus on their environment and find things to do. 

In addition to fostering an environment where your child must create their own play, there are many fantastic and easy activities that you can turn to when needed. Edutopia has a great list of activities to help foster play in your child.

Final thoughts

Children are stressed and are literally facing a mental health crisis. This summer is the perfect opportunity to reset your child’s whole world view. Yes, academics are important and the Summer Brain Drain is real, but if your child is stressed, depressed, anxious, or all of the above, then academics are not the top priority. While happy is an elusive and perhaps misplaced goal, mentally healthy should be the focus for your child for this summer.

To reach this goal, one can think of it another way. Most dietitians recommend a combination of 45-65% carbohydrates, 10-35% protein and 20-35% fat. But rather than food percentages, break a summer day into 10-35% summer learning; 20-35% exercise and movement; and 45-65% play or whatever lights up your child’s heart.

If you would like to discuss ways to create a balanced summer schedule for your child, please contact Jennifer Disch at Engage the Brain.