Fighting Back Against Summer “Brain Drain”
As school winds down, students are focused on having free time without the stress of homework, projects, or exams. They’re ready to give their brains a break. But slacking off too much over the summer can actually be detrimental to their learning. According to the National Summer Learning Association, students can lose two to three months’ worth of math and reading skills over the summer. Teachers spend an average of four to eight weeks reteaching previously learned skills at the beginning of the school year.
Now, this doesn’t mean that you have to be drilling math facts every day and scheduling out each moment, but there are some simple ways you can support your child’s learning over the summer and help them keep pushing forward.
· Read, Read, Read
Ensure that your kids continue reading over the summer. They don’t have to churn through the classics; let them choose books that interest them. Explore different sections of the library and ask for recommendations from others. Read chapter books, graphic novels, biographies, visitor’s guides, magazines, whatever they can get their hands on. Go one step further and talk about it too to practice comprehension.
· Plan a Trip
Going on vacation? Have your children help with planning. Let them research places they want to visit. Work out a budget to manage expenses. Coordinate a schedule looking at the best times to go various places and how to spend each day. This incorporates a wide range of skills into preparing for something they’re already excited about.
· Volunteer
Whether they’re sorting donations at the food bank, serving food at a shelter, caring for animals, or anything else, it gets them moving and thinking. They’ll need to follow directions, problem solve, work together, interact with different people, and probably use some math and reading along the way.
· Try Something New
Let your child explore their interests this summer. Find a summer camp, community program, or other activity they want to know more about. Perhaps they’ll be honing their art or music skills, studying bugs in science camp, or learning to code. It helps them use their skills in different ways and also pick up some new ones while having fun.
· Allow Boredom
“I’m bored” is a phrase that parents come to dread. But it’s okay! Let your kids be bored sometimes. It challenges them to think creatively and come up with something to do. Maybe they’ll start a new project, try their hand at baking, research a topic they’ve been thinking about, or come up with their own business with friends. Boredom isn’t necessarily a bad thing when it gets them thinking about their interests and trying different activities.
· Participate in Tutoring
The summer can also be a great time to help your child catch up — or get ahead — through tutoring. Maybe they need just a little more time before that concept clicks, or they’re ready to start working on some tougher math problems to build their skills for next year. Summer can be a wonderful transitional time since there is often no required coursework or tests for school that they’re preparing for. Instead, your child can really focus on their areas of need and organizational or study skills that they want to ramp up.
Crafting Scholars creates an individualized learning plan tailored to your child’s unique needs. Let them enjoy summer without losing the skills they’ve worked so hard on all school year. They’ll kick off the new school year ready to keep moving forward because they’ve continued to practice. Contact us today to learn more or sign up for tutoring!
