I have just picked up my son from his last day as a Year Seven student and, as ever at this time of year, I am hit by a mix of emotions: enormous pride in all he has achieved over the last few months, but also a vague sense of panic about what to do with him over the next six weeks. For those of you with older children, particularly those who will be sitting exams in the next academic year, the panic may be more focused. Academic research that suggests learning is lost over the course of the summer may be scary but that loss is not inevitable. There are ways to ensure that your children arrive back at school in September both refreshed and well prepared for what is to come.
If your child has been given homework, don't be tempted to do it all at once to get it out of the way. Schedule a day (or two) a week which will be homework days where you can check what is outstanding and spend an hour on it. If your child doesn't have any homework that's fine, but the next few points are even more important.

Read. I am going to go against the grain and say no, not all reading is good reading. There are some truly terrible books out there. That's not to say that your child can't enjoy terrible books (God knows I enjoy some truly awful telly) but that it needs to be balanced with quality prose. If your child is not a reader try to find something that they are interested in - sport, fashion, politics - and get them to read publications on those topics. Avoid blogs; instead look for writing that has gone through an editorial process: magazines, newspapers, etc.
Plan. Encourage your child to make a plan for the new term. How are they going to organise their time? What deadlines are they already aware of and what needs to be done in preparation? Do they have any particular goals? How do they intend to reach them?
Revise. If your child doesn't have any homework then this is a period when you can look back over topics already covered and look for gaps, misunderstandings or areas that they struggle with. You may not be an expert and may feel unsure how to help them but there are plenty of useful youtube videos and websites which can support you.
Extend. If your child has a particular love of one subject make the most of their enthusiasm and get them to research topics that they care about. For historians I strongly recommend the various online newspaper archives which can be used as a fascinating starting point for most areas of study.
Write. "What I did in my holidays" homeworks are generally frowned upon these days but any sort of regular writing - whether a diary, journal or even just quick notes - will ensure that good habits are not lost. Get them to email grandparents, write to local newspapers about something they're concerned about, write a description of the view from your holiday window, write their opinion about something in the news.
Summer should of course be restful and rejuvenating but a little regular return to learning will make September a much less scary prospect.
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