I’ve been hearing about the “summer slide” lately, or kids losing their academic skills in the summer time and having to make up for it the first few weeks in school.

It's Cheetah Girl!
My daughter is doing crafts. Construction paper, a stapler, glue, tape, wire, scissors– that’s all she needs to create all sorts of things, like doll clothes, a doll, cards, and costumes (including shoes). I am enjoying her creativity. My dining and living rooms are disasters are craft rooms right now.
My oldest is working a lot this summer. Believe me, that’s a great thing. He’s learning to budget, save, and plan his finances. He’s also learning to work well with others and appreciate hard work.
My middle guy is in extended school year this summer, AKA ESY, AKA summer school.
I decided to send him because he is going into middle school and I want him to keep up his skills. I thought about summer camps like the Y, or the therapeutic camps around here for kiddos on the spectrum, but he let me know that he definitely did not want to go to summer day camps.
“No Milestones!(His last camp.) No camp!”
Can’t get much clearer than that.
So off to ESY he goes, three mornings each week. I ask him periodically, “Do you like summer school?”
“MMM hmm!” he replies.
That’s great, in Philip-ese.
So I guess it’s so far, so good. For me– I’m going to be ready for school to begin again. In fact, I really am intrigued by the year round school idea. It sounds wonderful to me. Any of you have experience with this? What do you think?