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Tips to Complete Your Summer Homework

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As the summer warmth is approaching, the last thing any student would want to think of is their summer homework. Who does not enjoy a good summer vacation? Moreover, all the outdoor adventures and the allure of sunny days make it impossible for students to focus on their assignments. However, with the right approach, it is quite manageable to complete your summer homework on time whilst enjoying the season to the fullest. In this blog by All Assignment Help , we will learn about some valuable tips with which you can take good care of your academic responsibilities during the summer months.

Benefits of Summer Homework

Undoubtedly, students see summer homework as a burden. However, there are significant benefits and crucial reasons why it is assigned to students during summer breaks. Let us read about these benefits one by one.

Knowledge retention

With the help of summer holiday projects, students can retain information that they have learned during their academic year. Summer breaks are often long and there are great chances that students might forget what they have learned earlier in school. Hence, summer homework is a way to keep students engaged consistently with the academic material during their summer breaks.

Preparation for the next academic year

For students who are preparing for the upcoming curriculum, summer study tasks can be a bridge in their academic years. Moreover, it helps students in reviewing their older concepts and learn new material and concepts. Furthermore, it is a great way to head start while returning to school.

Responsibility and discipline development

As a student, you need to manage your time effectively and have some self-discipline to carry out your vacation homework on time. Moreover, when you assign time to each homework it helps you in learning effective and valuable time-management skills. Furthermore, it helps you in attaining academic success. In addition to this, if you struggle to complete your assignments then you can seek expert assistance. Contact a reliable online assignment service and get yourself an error-free homework.

Opportunity for enrichment

Holiday projects are a great way to allow students to explore various topics that might enrich their personal interests. Moreover, this will also encourage students to foster a love for learning and carry out their passion beyond their classroom.

Prevention of learning loss

Studies suggest that students tend to experience learning loss during the summer time, it is called summer slide. This is why, summer learning tasks or summer assignments help students in preventing learning loss. It engages students with their academics intellectually.

Preparation for college and career  

Summer learning tasks are a great way of engagement during vacation time that helps students in preparing them for professional responsibilities and college coursework. Moreover, during this time, you can develop strong study habits that will help you in long-term academic as well as career success. However, at times when you find it tough to manage your holiday projects, you can use online assignment help services to get your work done without any hassle.

Teacher student connection

Whether you are in a traditional classroom setting or online learning setting, summer homework plays a great role in maintaining good communication between students and teachers. Moreover, teachers can provide students with feedback, guidance, and support, and foster a good relationship apart from academics.

Hence, we can say that summer homework might come across as a burden during summer breaks but it has a lot of benefits to offer to help students grow academically and personally.

Also read: Biology Homework Help for the Best Grades

Overcoming Challenges While Completing Summer Homework

There are a number of challenges that students face while completing their summer homework. These challenges can be distractions, procrastination, lack of motivation, or difficulty in balancing fun time and study time. However, with some strict tips, you can easily overcome these challenges complete your summer homework on time and still enjoy your vacation.

• Firstly, you need to set clear goals, especially achievable ones. If you have a lot of work to do then you must break it into manageable chunks.
• Now, it’s time to set a productive environment. Set a study space for yourself that has fewer distractions so that you can complete your summer learning tasks on time.
• Vacations do not mean you have to be disorganized. Make to-do lists, use planners, or use digital apps to track your work progress.
• It is crucial to manage time effectively, after all, summer vacation is for recreation and not all about studies. You can use Pomodoro Technique where you can allot yourself study time followed by small breaks.
• Staying motivated during summertime is crucial. Hence, remind yourself why you must quickly finish your summer assignments.
• Rewarding yourself to keep yourself motivated.
• Furthermore, if you are struggling with certain summer study tasks or subjects then never hesitate to seek assistance from classmates, teachers, tutors, or assignment experts . Moreover, you can join online forums and study groups for assistance.
• Last but not least, always stay flexible, so that you can easily adapt to study plans that change due to reasons like unexpected events.

You may successfully overcome obstacles and finish your summer schoolwork by putting these techniques into practice and maintaining your discipline and attention.

Also read:  Do My Economics Homework

Strategies to Complete Summer Homework on Time

Given below are some applied strategies that you can use to complete your summer homework on time.

If you want to finish your summer assignments on time then you need a good planned realistic schedule. You must allocate every subject enough time to study and complete assignments without any hassle. While making this schedule, make sure you are considering other summer activities as well and effectively planning your holiday project sessions around them. Moreover, when you have a clear plan, you will hardly procrastinate and always stay focused.

Along with assignments, if you have commitments like online classes during your summer time, then experts have got you covered here as well. Taking classes during summer breaks can be irritable and students often think, is there a way to ask someone else to take my online class whilst I enjoy my summer breaks? If you are wondering the same, then let the subject matter experts guide you. provide these experts with your class credentials and let them handle your commitments on your behalf while you rejuvenate during your summer breaks.

Break it down and set goals

There is nothing better than dividing your vacation homework into smaller and manageable tasks. When you focus on achieving smaller goals, you always achieve bigger and better. Manage your work like an expert instead of getting overwhelmed with the amount of summer study tasks. In addition to this, set specific goals related to your summer homework and make sure they are achievable. From completing assignments per week to learning new topics weekly, have clear learning goals.

Find a productive environment

Now, it’s time to find yourself a distraction-free space. Doing so will not only improve your focus but help you in better concentration. It can be a designated study area at your house or a local library, always choose a spot that can help you make your productivity better.

Use technology wisely

You must wisely use technology to enhance your learning experience. You can find plenty of apps and online resources that can help you in completing your summer homework. However, make sure you are using technology in moderation and not involving yourself much with distractions like social media. In addition to this, if you have a certain online class, for example, a physics class, and you are unable to attend it, then it is time to use technology wisely. On the internet, you can find subject matter experts to take your class on your behalf under keywords like, I am looking to pay someone to do my online physics class . Doing so would give you a list of platforms offering reliable and affordable services, you must choose wisely from here.

Stay organized

No one wants to eat from a disorganized plate. Similarly, a disorganized table can never motivate you to study. Therefore, if you wish to study timely to complete your summer learning tasks, you must keep your study materials organized. From folders to digital storage solutions, keep everything accessible.

Stay consistent

If you are willing to complete your summer homework on time then consistency is the key here. Make a schedule and try to stick to it. Moreover, make sure studying has become a regular part of your routine. Consistency provides you with momentum and helps you in steady progress.

In conclusion, we can say that summer homework would not be daunting if we followed expert strategies. Moreover, by following these tips students can also make the most out of their summer holidays without keeping academic success at stake. Furthermore, there are certain things that you must remember, such as planning ahead, staying organized, and taking breaks when needed. All you have to do is follow the right approach and you can finish your summer homework on time and enjoy your vacation.

Frequently Asked Questions

4 Ways Parents Can Deal With Summer Homework, According to Experts

Most schools assign summer homework with good intentions, but they don't always know how to make school-break assignments meaningful.

School’s out for summer! Around the country, students have chucked their backpacks and planners aside and rejoiced. That is, if they don’t have summer homework.

A hotly debated topic in education, summer assignments can involve reading, online work, packets, and/or real-life enrichment opportunities in communities that students are responsible for completing by the time school resumes. It’s become a burden for some families whose parents work in the summer, or who lack teacher support or internet access. On the other hand, some parents want their children doing summer work to keep them busy and engaged in academics, and to prevent the “summer slide” — a regression in learning some educators believe occurs between school years.

In 2022, the Center for Reinventing Public Education estimated that 87% of metropolitan school districts offered summer learning opportunities to families at no cost. But for some classes, summer homework is not only a requirement, but material that kids will see on a test in that first week back after break.

Licensed Psychologist Connie McReynolds , Ph.D., says summer work can sometimes cause children to feel like they’re still at school. “It can lead to burnout before the next school year begins,” she says. For others, she says, the structure and routine are beneficial.

So summer homework can be advantageous — if it’s done right. The bad news is that, in a lot of cases, it isn’t. Here’s what the experts had to say about if, when and how summer work should be assigned — and how parents can cope if their school is missing the mark.

When Summer Homework Is Done Right

It should be intentional and (actually) educational..

“Summer work for the sake of raising and/or setting expectations for rigor is baseless,” says Suzanna Davis who has been a teacher and principal, and is now the current Senior Director of Student Services at Middletown City Schools in Ohio. “Students often put off the work until the last minute and complete the work for compliance, not true learning. And that’s only exacerbated when the teachers don’t create a meaningful classroom connection to the summer work.” This points to a problem with practices around all homework — are they meaningful practice, or just a check-the-box completion grade?

Teachers might feel they can’t teach all the material during the school year. But a 2023 study found that summer learning had a small impact on math test scores for students but not reading. Additional recent data has shown that the impact of the “summer slide” depends on a variety of factors, including grade and poverty levels.

What parents can do : “The teacher should provide a clear connection to how the summer work is going to enhance the learning and/or enrich the learning that will occur at the start of the year,” Davis says. “If there isn’t a clear explanation of the purpose of the summer work, parents should reach out to the teacher directly for clarity regarding the purpose of the work and if it is required." Don’t worry about being a nudge. “Parents should keep in mind they are advocates for their children and asking questions for clarity creates a two way dialogue with the teacher,” she adds.

It should come with tech and academic support.

A key pillar of homework is homework help — that is, if the purpose is real learning.

Many parents can probably relate to a scenario like this: “Hey mom, I’m supposed to work on a school app called blah blah blah.”

“Oh, okay, what’s the password?”

“I don’t know.”

And even if they can log in, what happens if kids don’t understand the assignments? Many parents can relate to not knowing the answer to a homework question a kid is asking, and not knowing which resources to use to find it. Adding in homework help around work hours can add stress to a family.

Not a whole lot of learning is happening in these situations, which all lead back to one missing aspect to effective homework practices — teacher support. Teachers are off in the summer, but if students aren’t, there’s an issue with technical troubleshooting and guided instruction.

“Homework should reinforce skills learned in the classroom,” Davis says. “Unfortunately all too often students are left to complete homework without the foundational knowledge to complete it to enhance their learning. During the summer months teachers are typically not available leaving the students to complete the homework with little to no direction which could result in them replicating bad habits without any checkpoints or feedback.”

What parents can do : It’s absolutely reasonable to expect summer support to have necessary technology and instructional guidance, even in the summer. “Students should be able to access the teacher to provide clarity, answer questions and/or to provide feedback,” Davis says. She again recommends communicating with the school as early as possible about how students are supposed to get tech or instructional support.

It should be inclusive and low-stress.

A student with an Individualized Education Plan, or a 504 plan, who typically has extra homework time looks at a large packet at the start of summer. Do they still have double time? What resources are available to them? These are concerns that all families, but especially those with additional academic and learning needs, have to navigate.

“Parents of children with ADHD are naturally concerned about whether being away from academic studies over the summer will lead to the ‘summer slide,’” McReynolds says. “This concern leads parents to struggle with whether to push on through the summer or give children a break from the pressure.”

Students who don’t have access to support can see an increase in academic-related stress too. According to a 2021 study by Challenge Success, a non-profit organization affiliated with the Stanford University Graduate School of Education, 56% of students reported an increase in stress from school . The same report found that during the school year, students spent an average of three hours on homework each weeknight, with 51% reporting they spent more time on homework than they did in the past. But 42% reported they had a decreased level of engagement for school and learning. So, experts are torn on whether homework actually increases engagement, and even learning.

“All too often the completion or lack thereof is utilized to gatekeep students out of higher level courses,’ Davis says. “In the event a student faces this, parents need to actively advocate for inclusion in the class regardless of completion of the summer work.”

What parents can do: “Individual accommodations and modifications included in a student’s IEP/504 must be taken into account,” Davis says. “Another approach to summer work would be for the parent and student to create a scaffolded schedule to complete the work as opposed to waiting until the final weeks of summer to complete it all at once. Ultimately, the mental health of the student is most important and parents and/or the student should actively communicate with the teacher directly to discuss concerns throughout the summer.”

High schoolers who are taking Advanced Placement (AP) classes, which sometimes require summer work, can consider opting for a College Credit Plus (CPP) class, when appropriate for them. CPP classes often carry the same weight without the summer work, but it varies state to state, and parents and students should ensure the desired university they would like to attend accepts CPP classes as credit as they do with AP. Pro tip from Davis: Ask around or ask the teacher before April or May to determine summer homework plans for an AP class, because you might miss the deadline to do CPP if you wait until summer.

It should even be…fun!

There just might be room in summer homework for a bit of enjoyment, with the right set up.

“I believe summer homework is detrimental for several reasons,” Davis says. “It perpetuates burnout … preventing students from fully relaxing and recharging during their break. This can negatively impact their mental health and overall well-being.” So, the only summer homework our experts are interested in are fun activities that enrich family or community life, or personal development.

Emily Pendergrass , associate professor of the Practice of Literacy and Reading Education at Vanderbilt University says summer homework should be meaningful for families, teachers and learning. “It should be interactive,” she says. “It shouldn’t be one size fits all…we should be moving towards learning and curiosity.”

Summer homework should move into meaningful activities, Pendergrass says. For example, instead of keeping a reading log that just lists the titles of books and how many minutes were read, students can be tasked with drawing a picture of what they read, writing an alternate ending, or making a short video about the reading to share with classmates when they’re back to school.

What parents can do: In the end, there’s no faster way to get students to hate school than assigning a classic piece of literature, and telling them good luck, see you in the fall. Pushback from parents, community and students themselves can ensure summer work, if necessary, is equitable and purposeful, well-supported and inclusive. Or, we can just cut it all together and go read something fun by the pool…

When to Call It Off

If your child is too stressed about summer homework, you and your child, and their educators, can discuss together if the right move is to simply not do it . What are the consequences? The ramifications of this depend on the school, and the program. In some places, summer work might not account for a large portion of their final grade and a student might be confident they can make it up during the school year. In others, they might be able to choose a less rigorous course without a summer homework requirement. Then again, skipping summer homework might result in failing a class if the summer assignments are weighted heavily in the final grade. You can also consider asking for an alternative or makeup assignment, which often would be considered on a case-by-case basis. “If summer work is being graded on completion, and not truly being utilized at the start of the year to extend instruction, the student, parent and teacher need to actively discuss the true purpose of the work,” Davis says.

Alexandra Frost is a Cincinnati-based freelance journalist and content marketing writer, focusing on health and wellness, parenting, education, and lifestyle. She has been published in the Atlantic , Glamour , Today’s Parent , Reader’s Digest , Consumer Reports , Women’s Health , and National Geographic . She spends her “free” time with her five kids under age 8, and testing lots of products. To connect or read more of her work please visit alexandra-frost.com or follow her on social media: Twitter Instagram Linked In .

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Should kids get summer homework?

by: Leslie Crawford | Updated: September 26, 2024

Print article

Jill Notte’s daughter Sara is a straight-A student, and she’s taking five advanced-placement courses this fall. It’ll be her senior year.

This ambitious undertaking may prove Sara’s undoing — at least if the 17 year old wants to enjoy her summer vacation. Somewhere in between spending a week at a Girls State program, a month at the New Jersey Governor’s School of Engineering and Technology at Rutger’s University, and visiting a few potential colleges, Sara must complete the following workload before school starts:

• Read five novels for AP English • Read one book for AP History • Complete a packet of assignments and problems for AP Calculus • Complete a packet of assignments and problems for AP Chemistry • Write several summaries of scientific principles for Honors Physics

Oh, and her English teacher recommends that she attend Shakespeare performances at the local college to supplement the many plays she’s required to read as part of AP English. “I try to put a positive spin on it,” says Sara’s mother, Jill. “I told her, ‘Summertime’s a great time to read Shakespeare!'” But, admits Jill, it’s not so easy to put the same kind of “fun” spin on the stack of mind-numbing calculus and chemistry books hefty enough to take down a Yellowstone grizzly.

Forget languidly balmy weeks unwinding from the stress of an intensive school year. Goodbye, as well, to working her usual summer job as a lifeguard, which Sara unhappily has to forgo — along with the money she hoped to save for college. As her mother puts it, “Summer homework is a full-time job.”

A working vacation

Sara’s not alone. The oxymoronically named “vacation work” is on the rise. Sara’s older sister had only a few books to read over the summer when she was in high school — and that was just eight years ago. Jill, who like her daughters was a high achiever in the top five percent of her class, remembers completely homework-free summers.

Many parents remember their own childhood summers as true respites from school, devoid the rigor and rigidity of academic life. Summer was a sprawling mass of unstructured time that ranged from idyllic laziness to stupefying boredom to invigorating camps and family vacations, not scores of math worksheets, science packets, and lists of “good-for-you” classics that hardly qualify as light beach reads.

Harris Cooper, chairman of the department of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University and America’s leading homework scholar who co-authored the landmark meta-study on homework , says that while there exists no formal studies on the rise in summertime homework, he’s witnessed a particularly sharp increase over the past two years — probably a response “to high-stakes testing and accountability issues for schools.”

Just say no?

Some parents argue summer homework is nothing more than bland busywork that saps the joy and spontaneity from summer. So says Sara Bennett, founder of StopHomework.com . “Even if there is a summer slide, I don’t think homework is the solution,” Bennett says. “Kids don’t have enough downtime during the school year. I think they need that freshness during summer.”

Here’s a revolutionary approach for vacation purists who say kids deserve a good, old-fashioned summer free from intense brain-strain: Just say no. That’s what Bennett suggests a parent do in the fall if a child is averse to doing the packet. “I’d send it back and say, ‘I’m sorry, my child didn’t have a chance to do it.’ ” (A parental dispensation only possible for kids who haven’t entered the high-school pressure cooker where — as with Sara Notte — summer homework is graded and can directly affect a student’s chances to enter a top-tier university.)

Protecting young minds from melting

On the other side of the summer homework debate are the moms and dads who, when the school doors slam shut, ramp up the supplemental brain work, even if the teachers didn’t provide it themselves. Most parents, though, fall somewhere in the for-better-or-worse-summer-homework-is-here-to-stay camp.

So if the kids have to do it, can we at least be reassured that it’s a magic bullet to protect young minds from melting? “We can’t say that with any objective data,” Cooper says. “But we would make the assumption if students are continuing to flex their mental muscles over the summer, this would have a positive effect on how much material they retain when they return.”

No buy-in from the kids

“There definitely is a lag — I’m not denying that,” says Denise Pope, senior lecturer at the Stanford University School of Education and co-founder of Challenge Success , a research and student-intervention project. “I absolutely agree that three months is a long time to not do anything. That said, I’m not sure this idea of giving workbooks and pages and pages of handouts works.”

The reason it doesn’t work? “There’s not a buy-in from the [kids],” Pope argues. “In order for any learning to be retained, there has to be engagement on the part of the students.” Pope explains that students need the “ABCs of engagement,” which means they’re engaged affectively, behaviorally, and cognitively. “If they’re intrinsically motivated, then they’ll want to do it.”

“I know kids who get these huge 40-page math packets,” Pope says. “It’s because [teachers] want [kids], over time, to have systematic practice. The problem is that this requires an adult to monitor this kind of disciplined work. It’s not like a kid can do that on his own. So it puts a burden more on the parents.”

Year-round homework blues

So, alas, those nightly angst-ridden homework dramas that run from September through June now get year-round billing. The other problem, Pope says, is that summer homework packets (frequently put off until the last unhappy week before school begins), often seem to fall into an academic black hole once they’re turned in — with no feedback from teachers and no effect on kids’ grades.

As for the work that Pope’s three kids — ages 10, 12, and 15 — get handed at school’s end, she tells them, “‘I won’t bug you about this at all. I won’t be the police.’ We look at the assignments they get for the summer and I say, ‘How long do you think this will take? Do you want me to remind you to do it?’ ” But if they leave it until the tail end of the summer, Pope says, well, that’s their choice. It’s their vacation, after all.

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Summer Homework: A How-To Guide for Parents and Kids

It’s become a predictable yearly debate that rolls around every June:

Should my kids really be getting summer homework?

And if they do, how should we approach it so they actually learn something over the summer (rather than just doing busywork)?

Here’s the thing:

At some schools, kids are routinely overloaded with multiple books to read, and big math packets to complete.

At other schools? Nothing is assigned.

My personal opinion is that the right balance lies somewhere in the middle… Yes, we want kids to keep their minds sharp, but not at the expense of having fun over the summer.

So in this post I’ll cover:

• My opinion on the age-old summer homework debate (in the video below)
• How to handle the different types of work assigned to students over the summer
• Some specific recommendations for what you can do as a parent to keep your kids engaged in the process, including a recent interview I did with WTOP’s Every Day is Kid’s Day podcast on the topic

And you’ll walk away with a better understanding of how to make the most out of homework (or lack thereof) this summer.

You can click one of the links below to jump to one of the sections of the guide:

How much is too much summer homework? How to tackle summer reading (The Amazon Method) How to handle math packets and workbooks Creative ways to make Summer Learning fun

Or jump right in with the video below.

How much is too much? What the research says…

When kids do nothing at all in math and reading, the research shows that they can lose two to three months of learning progress over the summer.

Just think: That’s almost as if they decided to end the school year in March!

And if left alone, those losses accumulate over time with respect to their peers.

A 2007 study out of John’s Hopkins University showed that while students (on average) make similar gains in reading comprehension throughout the year, students without access to learning opportunities make no progress over the summer, while students with access outpace them year after year.

Ultimately, by the time they reach 5th grade, disadvantaged students are the equivalent of 3 full grade levels behind their advantaged peers in reading ability!

But, this trend need not apply to your son or daughter…

Because studies also show that kids who read just four books over the summer are able to almost completely eliminate that summer learning slide.

So here’s my take:

If your son or daughter is being required to…

• Read three books, probably classics that they really don’t want to read
• Write multiple essays
• And complete stacks of math assignments

… that’s probably a bit overboard.

Yes, we want kids to keep their minds sharp, but not at the expense of having fun over the summer.

So my recommendation is to create a balance. Get your summer assignments done, but try to structure it in a way that makes learning fun.

Here’s how to do it…

Required vs. Recommended Summer Homework

First off, we can break down summer homework assignments in terms of required vs. recommended .

Most schools send out a recommended reading list, and sometimes subject review packets to their students to complete over the summer.

And some actually require that their students complete a certain amount of those assignments over the summer, which are included in their grade for the upcoming school year.

Now, it does make sense to prioritize required assignments over recommended assignments… especially if your school went overboard with what they handed out.

But as long as it’s not too much material, regardless of whether reading is assigned or not, I recommend working with your child to map out a plan of attack for the summer to get it done (on their terms – see below).

How to tackle summer reading (The Amazon Method)

By far, the most popular category of summer homework assigned are reading lists.

And although most schools have a recommended reading list, they tend to be very broad ( umm, should my 8-year-old really be reading MacBeth right now? )…

Specific reading requirements

Sometimes though, there are specific books that your student needs to read over the summer (see the “required” section above), especially high school students, and you’ll need to work with them to figure out a plan of attack.

Block off some time at the beginning of summer (don’t let it wait until July!) to sit down and ask them:

“You have these 3 books you have to read this summer. How would you like to tackle these?”

And then let them answer. Help them formulate a (realistic) plan with their input, and they’ll but much more likely to follow it… and not end up in the last-minute reading rush on August 30th trying to get their summer reading done!

Flexible reading requirements

But on the other hand, if you do have some flexibility in terms of what your student is assigned to read over the summer, what I like to do is create a reading list tailored specifically towards the age or interests of your student.

And one of the best ways to do this is: Amazon!

Step 1: Go to Amazon.com and type in “Books for… [insert description of your child]”

For example, if I had a 7th grader at home I would search: “Books for middle school”

Or if I was looking for something more girl-oriented for my daughter I would search: “Books for middle school girls”

It’s amazing what books will pop up on the top of the list for kids…

Step 2: Review the list and make sure that the results are relevant (sometimes they require a little tweaking), and pay attention to the options on the sidebar where you can filter by subject, age rage, etc.

Then run them by your child and ask: “Which one of these do you want to read this summer?”

Look over the summaries and let them pick the books they want to read.

Word of caution: It’s not your responsibility as a parent to pass judgment and say:

“You know what honey, this year you’re not reading a graphic novel. You can only read books with words, no pictures.

We don’t want to do that as parents. We really want to let our kids decide, because when they’re invested, they’re much more likely to meet that four book goal over the summer.

Step 3: Either order online or head out to the library…

Make sure to do this before July 4th so the summer doesn’t get away from you, and use your list of books that you picked out.

Then, when you get your books back home…

Step 4: Sit down with them and make a plan.

Don’t assume your child will gleefully run up to his room and begin flipping the pages. They’re much more likely to read consistently if you have “READING TIME” marked off on the calendar at a consistent time each day.

You can even make it a family routine! Having everyone in the house reading at the same time will help encourage your child to get their reading done, especially if they’re reluctant or easily distracted.

Now, many kids are reluctant readers and may need a parent to help them get started… And you need to be willing to make the time to lend a hand.

This can be in the form of “you read a page, he reads a page” or for a really reluctant reader, “you read two pages and he reads one,” until he’s into the story.

Make this a habit, and before long you’ll have a bookworm on your hands!

How to handle math packets and workbooks

The same principles hold true for other assigned work as well.

Don’t assume your child will be chipping away at those math packets one day at a time (and the thicker they are, the more daunting they’ll seem).

Truth be told: we get lots of calls from parents mid-August, panicked that their kid hasn’t read and annotated a three-hundred-page book and completed a bunch of review worksheets – even though the parent has reminded him at least ten times!

This situation isn’t unique.

The value to any summer learning is doing a little bit at a time over a long stretch. The brain retains information best in bit sized chunks, not by cramming.

And this is even more important for math because it’s a subject that continually builds on itself. So if you miss something early on, you’re probably going to have to back-track when you run into that same concept again in the future.

So just like with reading assignments, if your son or daughter are assigned a math packet (or any other type of subject packet) over the summer, make sure to site down and set the plan early.

Aside from your typical reading lists and workbooks though, you can also encourage learning in other (more fun!) ways this summer…

Creative ways to make Summer Learning fun

Below is a recent interview I did with WTOP’s Every Day is Kid’s Day podcast (interview starts at 0:53) on how to bring a fresh perspective to summer learning, and make things more fun and interesting for your son or daughter this year.

Give it a listen for some more tips on:

• Using the Amazon Method to make summer reading more fun
• Alternatives to summer workbooks that are actually fun and effective
• Whether you should spend the time to try and “preview” material they’re going to see in the coming year
• And a whole bunch of other useful ideas for staying engaged over the summer

Here are some of those great ways to get your child into learning, outside of school recommended assignments:

For writing: use a dialogue journal.

One of the best ways to get your child comfortable with writing on a regular basis is to make a game out of it.

So try designating a “special” notebook or journal that lives in your kid’s room that you can use to communicate with them through writing.

Then, simply leave them a note each day, that they read and respond to.

Maybe you say something like, “I noticed how you helped your brother pick up those puzzle pieces. What a nice idea. How did you know he needed your help?”

Leave the journal on his bed and allow him to write back that evening. The next day, you respond.

And be sure not to fix grammar or spelling, just let these be a carefree way to practice writing and even illustrations.

At the end of the summer, not only will they have improved their writing skills, but you’ll also have an amazing keepsake to look back on for years to come.

For reading: listen to audiobooks!

Don’t forget that audio books can be very helpful for developing comprehension and fluency.

Studies show that when kids want to read a book just above their level and listen to the book while following along with the lines, they improve their skills more than if they read independently.

So using a site like Audible.com or going to your local library website to download audio versions of the books your son or daughter has picked out (or has assigned) for the summer isn’t cheating, it’s just another way to “open the door” to getting them involved in reading.

Plus, it’s great for long summer road trips!

For math: play (math) games on the iPad.

For most of us, it’s a constant battle to keep our kids AWAY from the devices over the summer… but it need not be either or.

One of the best ways to “bridge the gap” is to give your child the opportunity to use educational apps or websites on their phone or iPad that will keep them learning, without feeling like math always has to involve drudgery.

Multiplication.com is great site for staying sharp on math facts. And pretty much every elementary schooler needs to practice their addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division over the summer to stay sharp.

Funbrain.com is also perfect for allowing a little screen time in-between reading or homework sessions, while still learning at the same time.

For learning that’s fun: find local adventures!

Yes, you could have your kids spend their summer doing workbooks and refresher material, and that would probably help them stay sharp… but most kids find that to be a drag on their motivation to learn.

Instead, find a local museum or science center and take field trip!

Use the outing to ask your kids to guide the learning session and pick out what they want to explore… and then tell you about it.

And then watch in amazement at how excited they are, not even realizing that they’re “learning,” but just enjoying the moment and experiencing something new.

Summer camps are great for this too, so do some Googling and find out what’s going on in your area.

Now let’s hear from you..

How have you handled the balance between required summer schoolwork and fun?

What have you done that’s helpful in your family to keep summer learning alive without going overboard?

I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

• Summer Engineering Seminar (SES)
• School of Engineering
• Beyond the Classroom

2025 Applications are now LIVE!!!

A special summer program for high school students.

In 2025, the School of Engineering at Santa Clara University will host its 36 th A nnual Summer Engineering Seminar (SES) program. Named as one of 2022 , 2023 (page 64) , and 2024 Inspiring Programs in STEM from the INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. 

This outstanding, five-day immersion summer experience is for current high school sophomores and juniors, who are interested in exploring the field of engineering. The program offers specially designed introductory workshops taught by our engineering faculty that are presented as a mix of lecture and interactive work, spanning several fields of engineering. Participants will also get a taste of university life and the academic expectations of college. Along with living in the dorms during the program, students will interact with our faculty, students, and other members of the SCU community throughout the week. 

The 2025 SES program will be offered three times over the course of the summer. With the first two session being our introduction program for new participants. Priority goes to Sophomores, with limited space available to Juniors. Our third session will be our advanced year-two program. Open only to returning program participants from the summer of 2024. Thus, allowing us to offer SES as a two-year program for participants from the introductory program who want to come back during the summer of 2025 to dive deeper into the majors they are interested in. 

Participants can apply to attend one of the following two introductory session options:

SES Introduction (Year-One):

• Session One: July 13-17
• Session Two: July 20-24

SES Advanced (Year-Two) Returning Participants:  Past participants will receive a separate invitation

• Session Three: July 27- 31

Special thanks to the SCU Ignatian Center: McCormick Fund , Verizon , and Inspector Planet for sponsoring our 2025 SES Program. Interested in sponsoring our program? Please reach out to [email protected]

You can view our Summer 2024 SES Instagram Reels Here:

SES Advanced (Year-Two):

Special thanks to the SCU Ignatian Center: McCormick Fund , Honda , Verizon ,  Southwest Airlines , NVIDIA , Samsung , One Workplace , and Inspector Planet for sponsoring our 2024 SES Program. 

The SES program is designed to motivate young people to pursue science and engineering majors in college so they can ultimately participate in the scientific and technical workforce. It provides participants with a chance to explore the many possibilities of engineering as a career. Participants attend special workshops, complete their own engineering projects, and experience outside-of-class aspects of Santa Clara University through afternoon and evening recreational activities. 

During the week participants attend introductory level workshops spanning several disciplines of engineering that are facilitated by our engineering faculty. Topics will include: Bioengineering; Civil, Sustainable and Environmental Engineering; Computer Science and Engineering; Electrical and Computer Engineering; and Mechanical Engineering. Participants attend all core workshops for a broad exposure to the various disciplines and careers within the field of engineering. Workshops will be held by the School of Engineering, the focal point for engineering education at Santa Clara University.

To access the application form, click on the tab labeled "Application" below.

The eligibility criteria for SES are determined by the purpose and content of the program, as well as Santa Clara University's Strategic Vision. This program aims to motivate more students to pursue engineering study and workshop content is on a broad, introductory level. Santa Clara University's Strategic Vision also emphasizes education in "service to society, especially on behalf of those in greatest need," which is in line with our Jesuit identity. As such, the following criteria have been set for program participants:

• Students who will have completed their sophomore or junior year of high school by July 1, 2025
• Students who are interested in broadly exploring the field of engineering and its various disciplines
• Students who have not been exposed to the engineering profession through high school coursework, extra-curricular activities, similar programs and close role models working in engineering
• Students who may lack the means to access engineering courses and programs, due to limited financial resources and/or a lack of school & community offerings.
• Student areas listed below are highly encouraged to apply.
• First-Generation to go to college
• Women, Non-Binary
• Underrepresented groups in the field of engineering

All on-site fees for the SES Program are paid by the School of Engineering along with gifts from various corporate sponsors and foundations. Resulting in no costs for participants who are accepted into the program.

To be considered for this program, applicants must submit a complete application consisting of the following:

• The online application must be completed by 9:00 p.m. PT on Monday, March 31, 2025 . The application is available here .   
• An essay (500 words) as part of the online application addressing the following questions: What makes you an ideal candidate for the SES program? How do you think you could benefit from the program? Questions to consider in your response may include:         -What are you passionate about?         -What drives your curiosity for engineering?         -What kind of impact do you hope to have on society?

Each year the SES program receives hundreds of applications from across the globe for a limited number of spots, making acceptance to the program very competitive. For program consideration, applications will be evaluated based on academic performance (particularly in math and science), and the alignment with program eligibility criteria (with particular emphasis on applicant need). Applicants are informed of their status via email by Friday, April 18, 2025 .

For more information or questions: E-mail: [email protected]

If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation, please call 408-554-4728 or California Relay at 800-735-2929 (TTY) two weeks prior to the event.

The School of Engineering provides an outstanding theoretical and practical experience for both undergraduate and graduate students in the heart of Silicon Valley. Distinguished faculty, academic excellence, personal attention, and a culture of social responsibility are hallmarks of our program.

Disciplines in the School of Engineering include applied mathematics, bioengineering, civil, computer, electrical and mechanical engineering, and engineering management and leadership. More information can be found at www.scu.edu/engineering .

Email:  Summer Engineering Seminar

Santa Clara University School of Engineering 500 El Camino Real Santa Clara, CA 95053

(Santa Clara, Calif., October 4, 2024)— Santa Clara University and the Summer Engineering Seminar (SES) program, for the third consecutive year received the 2024 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the largest and oldest diversity and inclusion publication in higher education.

Summer homework

<p>Does every college have an assigned summer homework? I received that packet where you choose classes but I don’t see anything about assignments for the summer. I’m going to College Nine.</p>

<p>I have an essay to write for Merrill.</p>

<p>I got the packet for Porter and there was no assignment…</p>

<p>I’m going to Crown, and my packet didn’t come with the assignment either. HOWEVER, it did mention (on a sheet about the core course) that the assignment would be posted online at the end of this month. So I’d suggest everyone double-check on that.</p>

<p>I am affiliated with college nine and I did not have any summer hw last year. I assume it is the same this year. Some colleges do and some don’t.</p>

<p>hey cali trumpet,</p>

<p>can you tell us your experience with the college nine core course? is it hard? o.o</p>

<p>For Porter, we were supposed to read Angels in America over the summer. I didn’t. Neither did anyone else. Turns out that we didn’t do anything with A in A until the end of the quarter anyway.</p>

<p>Hobbes-</p>

<p>It all depends on your teacher. I got very unlucky with my teacher. </p>

<p>The class itself was not too bad. You will need to read twenty or so textbook pages per class period (2x a week) and you will write three papers in total. Usually no final. </p>

<p>As long as you do the reading and have an ability to crack out decent essays, you will definitely pass. However, my teacher was a prick about giving out A’s (she bragged about only giving 1 A and 1 A- out of her two classes of forty students. </p>

<p>My advice is to do the reading and understand it even though other people will not go to this effort. Pop quizzes show up and these quizzes are what separates the good students from the bad students.</p>

<p>Cali Trumpet- You guys had quizzes??? That sucks big time. </p>

<p>Did other colleges have quizzes?</p>

<p>Bananaslug-</p>

<p>Haha I dont know. My other friends in C9/10 classes had pop quizzes and so did my friend at Stevenson, so I just thought everyone had quizzes, but I guess not. It probably depends on the teacher too.</p>

<p>Thank you. :)</p>

<p>As stated above i have an assignment for Merrill. Which i haven’t started =X.</p>

<p>Is merrill the only college that assigned anything? I still have a page to write on my essay and I move in in 5 days :l</p>

<p>No. Crown has an assignment, too. As do other colleges I believe.</p>

<p>Haha, I haven’t started my Merrill essay yet. And I move in the 19th. But i have it mapped out in my head, so…</p>

<p>haha I haven’t started my essay either</p>

<p>I been procrasinating so much on my essay. I finish the book like a month ago I only got a page and a half of my essay written and I move in on the 19th</p>

<p>Anyone know what College 10, 80B assignment is? I heard it’s in the course reader but I dont’ have that, and don’t know where to get it, probably book store?</p>

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