Summer is in full swing and kids are enjoying their three month break from school. However, summer fun has a dark side…brain drain. During this time, children run the risk of of loosing certain skills and knowledge that they learned during the school year, as a result, they fall behind while on summer break. “Summer brain drain” or “summer slide” is very real. Here are some tips from the experts at abcquality.org to help parents prevent summer brain drain.
1. Let’s read!
According to abcquality.org, most teachers suggest that parents read with and to their children to help fight and avoid summer brain drain. Just 15 minutes of your day reading together will expose children to new vocabulary words and fine-tune reading comprehension. Reading is something that you can also do on the go with literary favorites on audiobooks.
2. Let’s journal!
In the fall, teachers notice that students tend to fall short on their writing skills. How can parents help to prevent this? Encourage your child to journal. You can give them daily writing prompts, you can encourage them to write poetry, short stories, as long as there are words, journaling ideas are endless. An extra added bonus, children will get that extra needed practice on their handwriting.
3. Let’s turn errands into fun!
Learning doesn’t have to be boring. There are “lessons” everywhere. Kids can help their parents cook by using recipes which employ both reading and math. Or, science lessons can be found in the garden by planting or studying garden animals. And of course, the museums, aquariums, zoos, etc. are open all around and the lessons can span culture, biology, art, and more.
4. Let’s make sure to keep summer lessons short and sweet!
Remember, summer breaks are breaks and there is no need to load up children with lots of worksheets, workbooks, etc. to keep them in the studying groove. Keep their summer reinforcement short and sweet to where they don’t really realize that they are actually learning.
5. Let’s attend a summer camp or program!
Summer camps or programs can not only be super fun because kids are enjoying activities with their friends, but they can also be some of the best tools that parents have in their toolboxes to help fight summer brain drain. Places such as rec centers, the YMCA, the Boys and Girls Clubs, of America, etc. etc. can be affordable, educational, and fun. Even your child’s school may have a summer camp or program that they can attend to keep students engaged and on the path to crushing goals for the next school year.
For more suggestions on how to prevent summer brain drain for your children, click here.
