Summer. The hope of so many school-aged children across the country. The months open up before them with a seemingly endless set of opportunities to play, use their imagination, and just have fun.
What a gift - and what an important aspect of childhood.
Of course, many schools send out reading lists for kids and parents are (oftentimes) left rushing in August to find the list and ensure their kids read before school starts in a mad dash at the end of summer break.
In looking at the paragraphs above, I hope you notice that both seem to be a rush to do or accomplish something. For one, it is the student who wants to rush to summer and leave the school year behind while the other has the parents rushing to ensure the summer reading is done before school starts all over again.
Through both instances, I want to offer an alternative - slow down. In the classical world, we often talk about a notion called Festina Lente, or ‘to make haste slowly’. This is very important because there are things we need to accomplish in life, but we don’t want to lose the importance of those things by simply getting them done.
Let us start with the parents this time by posing a couple of questions to frame the summer:
Does summer bring stress as the structure of the school year is gone?
Do you find summer reading (or the need for a student to have assistance in areas they need to grow) a check in the box or something more important?
Do you find time to read for leisure during (a physical book) the summer (and throughout the year?)
Let me encourage you to take time during the summer and to rest - to take a time for leisure. I know not all professions give summers off, but most will slow down at least a bit, so take advantage of that.
If reading is something you don’t look forward to, the chances are your children will also not look forward to it. So, pick up the book you know you should read (you know you have a list!) and start reading it. Don’t read just the mystery novel at the seashore this summer, but find something on your child’s reading list and enjoy. I might recommend some the faculty are reading at Oakdale Academy this summer, including:
The Wind in the Willows
Crime and Punishment
Gilead
Now, on to the kids…
Let them play and use their imagination this summer, preferably outside! Turn off the video games and screens and let them use that beautiful imagination to create worlds, save the kingdom, and win the World Series.
To the reading, have them read a bit when they are worn down from play. Let them read it outside. You really should experience The Wind in the Willows or Anne of Green Gables outside and not in the air conditioning.
If you are not sure what to read, a relatively simple internet search of uplifting books can help or you can use references such as William Kirkpatrick’s work Books That Build Character or the wonderful book by Vigen Gurioan, Tending the Heart of Virtue: How Classic Stories Awaken a Child’s Moral Imagination. Both have descriptions of wonderful books that can uplift and guide students in the right way.
So, summer is coming - let the kids play and let them read. Childhood is such an important time and both play and learning are of great value. Join your kids in storming the castle, a game of volleyball, and in a good adventure in a book.
Happy Summer!