Summer is a time for most kids to kick back, unplug from their alarms, and put down their homework. For teachers who have spent the school year with them, we hope that summer is a time to unwind, re-energize, and have fun. But it’s also a time that, year after year, gets brought up in staff meetings and parent teacher conferences. The “summer slide” is a well-documented occurrence and can be especially detrimental to learning if students haven’t had the opportunity to read, write, or practice math during the summer. The good news? Preventing this summer slide doesn’t have to look like summer homework or an expensive after-school program. A lot of summer learning is happening naturally!

One of the easiest ways parents can support the prevention of the summer slide is to encourage their children to read. Reading is key to summer success in learning. Even reading for fifteen or twenty minutes per day is great. Not all summer reading has to be great literature. Kids can get the reading practice they need by reading graphic novels, sports magazines, biographies, history books, scientific articles, mystery novels, or even product manuals. The idea is not to have your children read a set number of books over the summer. It is more important to give your children the message that reading is fun!

Once you’ve finished a book, continue the conversation by asking simple questions such as: What part was the most surprising? Who is your favorite character? What do you think will happen next? Such questions help your child become a more critical thinker and give them confidence as they discuss their reading with you.

Math isn’t limited to only worksheets either. Every day can be a learning opportunity for your child to continue practicing addition, subtraction, multiplication, and percentages. Math is everywhere! When going to the grocery store, have your child calculate how much change they get back, what a percent discount is for sale items, or help them make a budget. Math skills for adding, subtracting, and measuring are also used while cooking. Calculating time and distance between locations is necessary when preparing for a family trip. Let your child help you compare prices! These activities allow math practice to happen in a real-life setting.

Summer is also a great time to learn more about history, science, and nature. Visit museums, historical sites, botanical gardens, aquariums, libraries, or state parks. There are usually many programs available that provide an opportunity for learning and fun combined. Our children are naturally curious; allow them to explore areas of interest. You may be surprised that they will retain knowledge and become more interested in learning.

Writing doesn’t have to stop during the summer. Writing isn’t just about completing a book report or journal. Encourage children to write! Have them keep a family travel journal, write a book of their own, send letters to grandparents, or create a comic book. Writing allows children to organize their thoughts, increase vocabulary, and use writing to express themselves.

One of the most powerful and least utilized educational tools we have available to us is conversation. We spend much more time with our families during the summer months. Let’s use this time to ask great questions. Rather than yes-or-no questions, ask your children to explain the causes of events, the solutions they would devise for problems, or the inventions they would design for the planet. Talking like this encourages critical thinking, creativity, and self-assurance; it also reminds children that their opinions matter.

Technology has no monopoly over the summer. Yes, tablets, smartphones, and video games have their place; however, there are more fun alternatives. Let them spend some time outside on a bike, in the soccer field, building something, painting, planting in a garden, fishing at a lake, or strolling safely around their neighborhood. Exercise promotes physical health and mental well-being, while playing without a script cultivates imagination and problem-solving skills.

Summer can also serve as a teaching opportunity to instill responsibility. Cooking a simple meal, folding their clothes, helping with chores, budgeting their allowance, and giving back to the community are all useful lessons that can set kids up for success in adulthood.

As the school year draws near and August approaches, the return can be eased with a gradual return to school-like patterns. The two weeks before school begins are a good time to set bedtimes and alarm clocks closer to the regular schedule. Have your kids get their school supplies ready ahead of time and allow them to talk about what they want to achieve during the year. This way, they will feel more prepared rather than panicked.

Above everything else, parents must teach their kids that learning never really takes a break, even during the summer. Every meal they eat together, every trip they take, every book they read, every question they ask, and every problem they solve are all chances to learn.

Children may not recall the worksheets they had to complete, but they can remember the time they caught a fish, visited a museum, cooked dinner with their parents, and read books before sleep. Curiosity leads to lifelong learning.

Summer must not be seen as a continuation of the school year. Let it be a reminder to children that education can happen anywhere—among books, conversations, nature, history, and the world around us. Education is not limited to a classroom. It is a lifelong pursuit that does not stop when the last school bell has sounded, but continues for the remainder of their lives.