Summer Break?
⏱️ 13 min read
Introduction
Summer is no different to any other time of the year when it comes to nurturing your child. Talking to your child, listening to them, organising the day and setting good examples, and spending time with them everywhere in- and outdoors—or the willingness to do so—are the basics of what you do every day for your child, all year round.
In the UK, the summer holiday is the longest break from school for all students. Students are set free from classrooms for six weeks on average, often with little or no homework given. You’ll have plans and activities you will want to do with your children, no doubt. Whatever your child’s age is, the wholesome mixture of indoor and outdoor experiences will make the summer stimulating and nourishing.
Vacations, trips at best, camps and organised activity weeks, playdates and quiet days at home, and lo and behold, some study time fill most children’s schedules. With portable study materials in the child’s own hand, study can also travel around with them and accompany their summer time wherever you take them.
The good news is, ‘studying’ over the long holiday is not as demanding as you might think. It depends on what the child’s next academic year will involve, but there is something we can all do to cast some sunshine on their summer learning.
For those who keep in touch with studying over the summer holiday just because they enjoy it,
there is the opportunity to get ahead quite easily,
while for those who prefer to put down pens and books for the whole holiday season, September will likely demand some catching up of them. For all types of student, Learnest sees the opportunity to level up, plus one, move up a rung or move on a tad—especially over the summer break.
Significant impact
Research across the world generally shows that children who do not spend their summer time studying will fall back in maths and spelling, by as much as their holiday is long. This leaves them to spend the first six weeks of the next academic year catching up on what they have already learnt. The length of the UK summer holiday is equivalent to approximately 15% of the term dates—so, how children spend the summer has a significant impact on how they set a new start in September.
In 2017, a study by the Northumbria University revealed that 77 Primary children in the UK, who did not take part in educational activities over the summer holiday, scored significantly lower in their spelling tests in September than they did before summer. Similarly, a study by the University of Graz in 2015 has found the same effect for 182 Austrian Primary-aged students, whose spelling and arithmetic scores were significantly worse than their pre-summer scores.
In both studies, it took the students the same amount of weeks as their summer holiday to achieve as well as their pre-summer scores. The researchers therefore conclude that when students have been away from studying over the whole summer holiday, they will need to dedicate the first few weeks of the new term catching up, rather than learning something new.
Work out the summer break
The best ways to make the most of the summer break differ according to the child’s age, and what awaits them come September. In essence though, for all ages, there is some groundwork you could be doing. Here are some thoughts on how your child can best prepare for the next academic year, between the splashing and dozing that makes a summer summery.
Before Pre-School
While there may not be official ‘studying’ for newborns and toddlers, the journey to achieving their Early Learning Goals (ELGs)—the goals towards children’s wellbeing and preparation for schooling—begins at this age. They try to watch, listen to and imitate most of what you do for them or with them: they are already actively learning from you and what they are exposed to. Do all that you can to nourish their limitless mind!
Children have receptive minds, and the youngest have the most receptive minds of all—so let’s take advantage of that. Talk to them at home and while walking along the street together, read stories to them, show them how to use crayons, sing along, stack counters, run around in the park, play ball games or just dig in the dirt for fossils.
Moreover, counting from 1 to 10 when playing hide-and-seek, naming objects through the ‘I spy’ game or posing riddles at any moment, activate learning sensations even while playing—and that’s learning the fun way.
Pre-Schoolers
The beginning of schooling (typically the Reception class) is a huge transition in a child’s life. Children join a class and experience various playful activities among peer students, with a little bit of Literacy and Numeracy. Without parents in the classroom, children begin to detach (oh very slightly!) from home. The summer before the Reception year is, therefore, the best time to prepare for this step of independence.
Time spent playing jigsaw puzzles, stacking building blocks, sorting objects in order of size or colour gears a young brain into logical and creative thinking. These are playful routes into establishing concentration—one of the first skills that school will demand of them. The concentrated use of hands and fingers also trains their motor skills, as well as developing an observant eye.
Moreover, reading is the activity to blend into everyday life. Reading together is beneficial for familiarising children with the English alphabet, pronunciation, sentence structures and storytelling. Just hearing words expands their vocabulary, which is the key to them expressing themselves as best they can. Show them that reading is a good thing to do, normalise reading of all sorts, and use bedtime to regularly demonstrate that.
Before Year 1
In Year 1, children spend less time playing in the sandpit and more time at a desk. In other words, it is the beginning of ‘real’ studying/school life. The children most ready to sit and listen to their new teacher will certainly progress first and fastest, and probably furthest.
The key to preparing for this significant step is resilience, and the good news is, resilience naturally grows in a child given certain conditions. Routinely picking up some focussed play or study after breakfast is the best way to exploit a child’s brightest hours. It gets them waking up excited about learning! Regularity can be so advantageous at this stage of a child’s life—and routinely good tasking (some number work or another Mini Digi Book, for example) served up regularly will inevitably lead to a good, student-like habit.
Building a routine that includes daily focussed play or study over the summer will help to instil the basic discipline required by teachers in the classroom. The regularity and routine of their summer experiences will hold them in good stead for school timetabling and its demands.
Specifically, in June of Year 1, all students will sit the phonics screening check, which tests their understanding of how to read the English alphabet and the combinations of letters. A well-established reading routine and other practice will help no end in this regard, and no doubt some children are already doing some of the reading by this stage.
Students going into Years 2–4
From Year 2 to Years 3 and 4, there is a seamless transition from Key Stage 1 to 2 studies. Children sit Key Stage 1 SATs at the end of Year 2 to asses their progress.
The summer holidays are the perfect time to immerse them in extra-curricular fun, and this period of their life is the ultimate time to expand conversation on almost every topic that forms their world. When you’re in the (parental) groove of nurturing your child with a near-constant flow of information, even domestic chores reveal opportunity for teaching and learning. Shopping and cooking use counting, measuring and calculating, brushing teeth could arouse a chat about the water cycle, and so on it goes.
Take as much time as you can with them while they have the time—the summer holiday is an ideal window for extra-curricular learning experiences.
Be assured that there are limitless activities available to evoke students’ interests in all kinds of intriguing subjects. Whatever routine you have established by now will hopefully include concentrated, focussed study time, not excluding the school holidays. Taking enthusiasm for learning to museums, art galleries, castles, wildlife parks, zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens and planetariums links children’s learning to the world outdoors, and beyond.
All knowledge and increased curiosity gained in these years feeds into all of school’s teachings. After all, the science, maths and language that they learn at school in these years will be present wherever they go.
L1 Maths >
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7+ (Year 3 entry)
For students sitting 7+ entrance exams in January of Year 2, their summer (and winter) will likely consist of a lot of preparatory work. Students will be tested equally on literacy and numeracy, with reasoning tests in some schools. Especially if aiming for competitive schools, they will need to revise and prepare for exam papers where the standard is significantly higher than the national average at Year 2.
Continued practice of reading, arithmetics and mathematical word problems is, therefore, important. Composition and story-writing is also effective practice for creative writing as well as handwriting. For interview practice, you could chit-chat and role-play with your child about their favourite subjects or hobbies, or ask them to introduce a book or an object of their choice. Additionally, playing with other children builds a child’s socialisation skills which schools will likely assess through an informal activity day.
Always be aware of the balance of study, practice and essential rest time. The right balance will prepare the most ready and confident student, with less panic when the exam time comes. Good luck!
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Students going into Years 5–6
Every student at this stage ought to be striving to do their best, as they approach graduation to Secondary school. Students enter the upper level of Key Stage 2 at this stage, so the summer before Year 5 is the perfect time to revise what they have learnt in lower level Key Stage 2.
For Year 6 students working towards KS2 SATs in the coming May, summer is the time to review and catch up on English and Maths. Work on spelling, worksheets to practise mathematical reasoning questions, and don’t stop going over times tables until they can say all of them off by heart (at speed), to embrace mental calculation.
Recalling what children did during the day, sharing it with a family member or keeping a summer diary would also help them practise their storytelling, which is required for their teacher-assessed composition writing. They could even go beyond and write fiction stories based on those summer experiences, expanding their imagination. These narrative skills boost their creative writing and lend themselves to higher scores when the pens hit the paper.
Most importantly, the (continued) habit of reading trains crucial comprehension skills and endlessly broadens their vocabulary range—the key to succeed in not only English exams, but also to fully grasp word problems in Maths and other subjects. The benefits of reading are several and lifelong.
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11+ (Year 7 entry)
Students competing with other ‘eleven-plussers’ need to work hardest during the summer after Year 5. It’s not too late to start the work by any means, but most will have a vigorous study routine including tuition and extra classes already in place, working towards the 11+ challenges.
They will want to arrive at September entrance exams and interviews well-prepared, and confident in their chances of winning places at the school(s) of their choice. So, a studious summer reviewing quality materials and practising exam questions is par for the course.
As a supportive parent for 11+ students, you have crucial roles to play in the survival and success of an 11+ campaign. You’ll need to provide and go through worksheets of arithmetics, spelling, vocabulary and comprehensions, help practise verbal and non-verbal reasoning skills, and read together as usual.
Supporting your child with interview preparation is also essential: there’s no one formula for an interview, but there are topics which are more likely to come up than others. In any case, every interviewee will face some basic propositions so they must practise introducing themselves and sitting through dialogue. To help, you can role-play: ask them about their favourite subjects, hobbies, books they have read recently, what they are good at or not so good at, the most memorable events of their life, and don’t forget to go over topics and current issues, too. Most of all, never attend an interview without an answer for “Why would you like to attend this school?”
Among all of that activity and effort, the children need to rest well and be left to play and ponder… Those who have the best habit of devouring schoolwork and enjoying to study will settle easiest into a rigorous preparation mode, of course. Still, they may feel the heat. There are obvious pressures attached to any competitive scenario, and not all students are quite up to it in time for 11+ regime.
Good luck!
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Beyond Year 6
At the end of Year 6, students will be free from tests and exams! Most eleven-plussers will be through their exams by October, and all students will know which Secondary school they will be attending by the end of the spring term.
In the summery approach to Year 7, you can prepare for your child’s next stage of education. Preparation leads to reassurance, readiness and resilience to start anything new—these are key building blocks of confidence.
There are several forms of preparation for the upcoming jump into Big school: have a checklist and go through what children need for Year 7, share appropriate letters and emails sent from school, make a timetable together to plan how to spend the summer holiday, socialise, and even practising the school run will psychologically (and incidentally) prepare children for what is expected of them from September. And, encourage them to include some independent study time because this is not the time to drop the ball.
Above all, talk to your child about what they are mostly looking forward to, and what they feel nervous about—and if there is anything they feel unsure of, listen to their concerns and worries, and give them your support throughout.
And if your child is sitting 13+ exams, just keep the momentum to study for the subjects they will be sitting in Year 8.
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Conclusion
Excitement fills most children as their summer break begins. There is much more freedom, and much more time at home to enjoy together. Do make the most of the precious time with your child, for your child—with fun plans and some study at the core to best prepare for their next steps.
Take it easy, but keep it going. The summer does mark the end of an academic year, but it’s not the end by any means: there is something for everyone to gain during this long break. After all, any pressure that comes with schooling is mostly due to a lack of preparedness, so let’s work on that. Learnest is your ideal partner in that endeavour.
Posted 21 July 2022
Authored by Asano Katashima
Edited by Elliot Paine
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