Is it just my kids, or does every child's brain shut down around Memorial Day and refuse to start up again until September? 
Different schools have different ways of dealing with the problem of retaining knowledge. Friends of ours tell me that their elementary-school children end the school year by bringing home a Math Packet--60 pages of worksheets to be completed before school begins, and graded as a test.
I know what it's like to try to get my teenager to finish his summer reading before school begins (and he's a reader), so I'm really thankful that my kids' schools haven't caught on to the Math Packet idea yet. Oh, the joy these parents must have, as they police their children's summer homework before the kids can ride bikes, draw on the driveway with chalk, or go swimming.
No thanks. That's really not for me.
I do like to encourage reading as much as possible during the summer. To me, a great way to spend the summer is with a bottomless iced coffee, a comfortable chair, and a tall stack of books. I can always be persuaded to head to the library with the kids to get the latest Geronimo Stilton chapter book or some new teen sci-fi. And my two oldest will have summer reading assignments, although my high-school student only has one book to read. (He'll put that off until the last possible minute.)
Summer's a great time for learning--but make it fun. There's enough seriousness during the school year.
COUPON TIME
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