Students do not retain everything they have learned in the previous school year over their summer break.  Some of this information is critical to their success in the next grade. The ten things many middle school aged children tend to forget over summer include:

Study habits. If your child has developed good study and homework habits do not be surprised when he or she seems to have forgotten these at the beginning of the new school year. Most of the time these behaviors will return quickly however.

Math skills they learned the previous year. Simply spending a few hours a week during the summer practicing the equations they learned can help increase their retention.

Reading skills learned in the previous school year. Also reading only a few hours a week during the summer can help elementary maintain reading skills.

Grammar, punctuation, and spelling skills.

Students this age are often growing space between themselves and parents. They can easily forget to tell parents they want to sign up for a sport or other activity over the summer or before the new school year begins. Parents need to get a schedule of possible school activities for the upcoming school year and discuss this with their child during the summer.

Middle school children often forget information relating to new subjects they have been introduced to during the previous school year. If they were introduced to fractions for example, quizzing them over the summer with real world problems involving fractions can help them retain this new skill.

These students often tend to put subjects they have had difficulty with out of their minds. After all summer is about fun. While students need to be encouraged and you should emphasize their strengths, spending a little time on the more challenging subjects while there is no
pressure during the summer can help them improve greatly.

Subjects that involve memorizing facts and figures tend to be put out of mind during the summer. Often playing games during the summer break that involve these subjects can help your student retain important information.

Middle school children have safety rules they can forget during the break. Reminding them will often help them later, even over their objections!

These students forget many of the basic needs for the new school year such as getting the list of supplies needed, what text books if any, lunch money, back packs, jackets, umbrellas, and so on. Preparing these items before the first day of school can save you and them some headaches.

by David McLeod

Owner School-Supply-List.com and Elementary School Teacher

David has been teaching elementary school in Central Texas for over 7 years and has over 15 years of experience in online education related websites and blogs.