31 Jul 5 Ways Parents can Prevent Learning Loss over Summer Vacation
“The more you read the more things you know. The more you learn the more places you go.” – Dr. Seuss.
Non-structured days, swimming, playing ball, bicycling, and camp are just some of the summer activities children love during their three month hiatus from reading, writing, arithmetic and other studies. However, this lax and non-educational routine harms children.
Do you remember each fall revisiting the material you already knew? That is because teachers must spend 4 to 6 weeks reviewing concepts and lessons taught the previous year for those who did not retain the material during the summer vacation.
According the Johns Hopkins University Center for Summer Learning, on average, students lose approximately 2.6 months of grade level equivalency in mathematical computation skills during their summer vacation.
What can be done to prevent brain drain?
Enroll your child in your library’s summer reading program. – Instead of your child watching television or playing videogames, head to the library and ask for assistance in locating books on superheroes, horses, or whatever interests them.
Each summer most libraries offer reading programs for adults and children. Libraries may offer participants prizes and programs during and after the program ends.
Read to your child. When parents spend time reading to their young children, they are more apt to learn and improve language and social skills. This in turn also develops confidence. Select a regular time to read to your child and eventually this could become a highly anticipated activity.
Limit Electronics. Turn off the TV, computer, phone, tablet, and handheld games. There are between one and five types of electronics in most households. Children and adults are attached to their mobile devices more than ever before, even multitasking while watching television. A year ago psychologist Dr Aric Sigman told the BBC that the average 10 year-old had access to five different screens at home. He stated that the prolonged screen time could lead to reductions in a child’s attention span because of its effects on the brain, leading to screen addiction.
Incorporate math activities into the daily schedule. Number sense is important for your child’s success. For example, children could review counting random items to everyday math, such as helping set the table and counting out the correct number of utensils for family members.
Learn and enhance children’s fraction knowledge with music. Students participating in a study learning fractions involving music scored 50 percent higher on tests than their peers who learned from traditional instruction methods. “Academic Music” article Educational Studies in Mathematics October 2012 Volume 81, Issue 2 pp. 251-278 then republished by Scientific American.
No doubt children are exuberant for summer vacation, as are their teachers. In order for them to avoid significant loss of learning over the summer, children need regular skill building, problem solving, and enrichment activities to retain and enrich what they learned during the school year and excel.
Contact ALOHA Mind Math http://alohamindmath.com for further assistance and for summer reading and math program specials.
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