To think the summer holidays should be a break for children?

[shouldprobablyfeelguilty]

My child’s moving into year 1 in a few weeks and it’s dawned on me that we’ve done no ‘learning’ over the summer. She’s not bothered about reading so I haven’t pushed it... she does drawing but not really writing and certainly no maths.

I saw a mum at the park who told me her DD has started the Y1 curriculum over the summer so she’s had a good start. Am I a shit parent?

Do you treat the summer hols as a learning opportunity for DC or a break for them?

AIBU to have not done ‘learning’ with DC over the summer?

My son is the same age. Starting the Y1 curriculum seems OTT to me - they at still so little.

We did a holiday diary when we were away so he wrote something each day. He absolutely loves maths so we often do mental maths (just adding/subtrating/doubling/halving) in the car etc.

We have bedtime stories each night - we read some words and he reads others so a get practice there.

That's about it really.

We have been on holiday where he did lots of activities, he has had play dates with a friend from school plus his cousins, he did some swimming lessons, we have seen relatives plus lots of playing at home. He will certainly have learnt things in all of that.

I use it as a learning opportunity, as there is so much time in the day and why not add some learning in. I let them watch two hours of tv most days during the summer. We go to the park, swimming, biking etc. Always activities morning and afternoon. Play time, reading time etc. But we always find extra time to do learning as well. However; my dc enjoy. My ds especially loves math. I gave him the option either play in the playroom or do math. He chose math. He is entering year 1. As he was in reception I never paid much attention to doing any math with him, just did a little reading (he isn’t keen). But decided to let him try some math when we had a few days of rain and stuck on holiday on an island w not much to do (only one shop and one cafe on island - no cars, need a boat to travel there!). So anyway, that’s when we started and he must have done something at school because he seemed to already know how to add and subtract in his head. And he is really enjoying it. I bought some math workbooks and we do reading. My dd is older and we do comprehension and math as well. I get the idea that holiday is for having a break, but my kids get bored and they are happy to do this. And yes they also spend hours in the park. It takes literally 10-15 mins of the day to do some of this learning. I think it helps build confidence during the school year. And it can’t hurt so why not.

Relax

Thinking, really we haven't done anything learning wise. Eldest is going into Y3 reads constantly but solo, 2nd going into Y1, maybe bit of writing (her constant birthday lists), maybe reading in the bedroom but I haven’t sat with her to listen. 3rd into YR and I’ve taught him to go to the toilet on his own (most of time). They have so much pressure during school time, it’s felt like a lovely break from it.

Mine are a lot older, and really needed a rest. So we did nothing educational except a few museum trips until this week, when we started PSAT prep for the older two. Their summers are 3 months long so 2 months rest was ample. The school year has fewer and shorter breaks so it is intense till summer and in the past we always did 6 week summer camps and programs, but this tome the really just needed lie ins and relaxation.

Play it by ear. If your kid is fairly accademic they likely don't need much summer work. If they struggle with retaining stuff. Better to do a little each day

I have children in secondary, junior and infant schools and the only thing I’ve made any of them do is practice their musical instruments and do a bit of reading. I’m a teacher and all of us have enjoyed mostly fun and a long break from anything work or school related!
Mine are all high achievers with the oldest at selective schools and we’ve never done ‘holiday work’ (although of course they are always learning through museum visits, holidays and days out etc all of which we do a lot in the summer holiday).

*mostly fun activities

Mine are voracious readers.

The eldest is year 11 and GCSE's this coming year, and she has been studying through the holidays, although that has been entirely self driven, and every so often I put my foot down and make her stop.

They've had a long hard year at school, and my priorities for them in the summer holidays has been to get fresh air and sun shine and relax.

We read and do sums as part of everyday life. Nothing formal at all.

DH and I didn't have anything like that in the school holidays at that age either (and PILs were both primary school teachers). It didn't do us any harm.

I am a teacher and I agree, lots of other learning going on, watching clouds, lying on grass, going swimming.
Lots of rest and sleep too.

But I have always read aloud to my kids and we used to do more of that over the summer rather than less. Holidays was a good time to read a whole chapter book. Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe was our read aloud holiday book when they were 5 or 6. (way too difficult to read to themselves, but works perfectly to read aloud)

Kids do slip back over the summe,r but 3 weeks in and they are back on track, unless they are struggling and then it may take longer. But that doesn't account for the other types of learning that go on.

Did you know that the parts of the brain that we need to learn to be empathetic grow when the brain is 'idle'. So if your child never just drifts or daydreams, then that part of the brain does not grow as well. I haven't explained it very well, but saw it on a documentary about brain development

Is your DD a spring baby? If so then I think prepping during the holidays before Y1 will really help and I'd start doing some Bond or whatever books, just a few excercises a day. Plus looking at the curriculum and touching on subjects through visits to museums etc. Include some sort of brief diary writing.

If not then it's maybe less important and just chill.

It depends on the dc really.
Personally I'd never advocate formal constant learning over the holidays but when dc were smaller, reception, year 1 and 2 I was amazed how far they came on with just say 20 mins a week! I helped older with tables just one or two a holiday. And some reading, as pp said weighing, baking, lists.

My other dc however is different type of learner and school is not great at supporting her, she's quite behind so we have done far more. Again nothing strenuous, just try and read every day. And do some maths.
Fun workbooks are good too.

Why does being a Spring baby matter? DH is a Summer baby. His brain always worked fine

Is your DD a spring baby? If so then I think prepping during the holidays before Y1 will really help and I'd start doing some Bond or whatever books, just a few excercises a day. Plus looking at the curriculum and touching on subjects through visits to museums etc. Include some sort of brief diary writing.

please please don't do all this.
A few exercises per day!! No.
I say that as a teacher.
Do you know that if you want your child to write creative and imaginative stories age 7, then the best thing you can do is to encourage creative and imaginate PLAY age 3-6.
Sitting down and writing a diary is soul destroying and boring.

If you want them to do well at school, improve their vocabulary and their small motor skills, and generate a love of books and reading.
How do you do that?
love of reading - read out loud to them, loads of different books, funny poems. This also improves vocab.
To improve vocab, sing songs with them, especially traditional songs, take them to places where they come across lots of new things, to the docks, the seaside, the zoo, the woods, the bottom of the garden, and talk about all the things you find, using lots of lovely words.

To improve small motor skills for writing, get out playdough, peg games, drawing, painting (on a nice day paint outside with water) learn to plait and do up laces, get them cooking and holding using knives and whisks etc.

Why do people assume that the skills for school involve paper and pencil and wordsheets

@namby.. thank you for your reassuring post

Steppemum wrote..
Did you know that the parts of the brain that we need to learn to be empathetic grow when the brain is 'idle'. So if your child never just drifts or daydreams, then that part of the brain does not grow as well. I haven't explained it very well, but saw it on a documentary about brain development

How interesting.. I didn't know this. My DS never just drifts off, he's constantly on the go mentally and physically. I'll have to encourage more day-dreaming!

Mine read voraciously anyway and always have so they do that. In the last 2 weeks of the holidays I do abit of maths with them

Our DS is older at 13 but he's spent the summer chilling. He's been reading books but nothing else. They work flat out during term time and until it's GCSE mocks he won't be doing holiday work of any kind

My DS never just drifts off, he's constantly on the go mentally and physically. I'll have to encourage more day-dreaming!

It was to do with times without external stimulation, so I think lying on the floor playing with lego probably counts!

DD will do some drawing or colouring, and I'll just ask her to try to write her name/letters/certain shapes, a person etc. She doesn't read during the day but at bedtime she asks for 3-5 stories (luckily she is only 3 so they aren't hefty) and some of those are The Magic Key (Biff/Chip/Kipper etc) books so I'll point to the words as I read them. As for maths I would just ask her to count how many toys she has or how many pens are red while she's playing - sometimes I might say something like "wow you have two strawberries, one two, if I give you one more, how many do you have now?" And she recounts them.

All play really

My eldest is going into year 4 and they do expect a lot at his school. He does love learning and is looking forward to returning (I know, I certainly never did) but he really does need the break to completely relax. He isn't keen on going out all the time and it's nice for me to have slow mornings too!
My youngest will be going into year one and I do feel like I probably should have made more of an effort this holiday to do more "learning" but actually, this is also his time to have a break.
We've had a great holiday in Devon where they both made new friends and had fun.