09/08/2026
The “Summer Slide" is a real phenomenon: a significant dip in a child’s learning over the long holiday.
As a tutor, I firmly believe that summer should be about enjoying childhood, not being forced to plough through workbooks.
Here are three simple, stress-free ways to weave learning into your everyday summer activities:
1. Maths is everywhere, no flashcards required! Count shells on a sandcastle or group pebbles to practice early multiplication and sharing. At the ice cream van, ask your child to work out the total cost or calculate the correct change. Knocking up a summer recipe? Let them help you measure out ingredients for baking or cut up sandwiches into equal fractions.
2. Write with purpose. Pick up a postcard and have your child write a message to family. Let them type up and send a quick email to their school friends to swap holiday updates and practice keyboard skills. If you are off on holiday, ask your child to write a list of things they need to pack.
3. Keep reading relaxed. The ultimate goal is to foster a lifelong love for stories, not to make reading feel like a chore. If your child is not a book worm, sitting together and reading aloud at bedtime does wonders for their vocabulary and comprehension. Audiobooks on a long car journey is a brilliant way to pass the time.
Learning shouldn't get in the way of summer fun—it should be part of it!
