Summer break is
undoubtedly a great time for kids. School is out and fun is in session. They
trade in class, homework and studying for sleeping-in, playing and
swimming...and brain-drain.
What’s brain-drain,
you ask? It’s a very real thing that presents itself over the summer months
and is hugely detrimental to a student's learning retention and
future progress.
According to research
on summerlearning.org, all students, regardless of grade level,
experience learning loss when they don’t engage in educational activities
during the summer. For some students, they can lose as much as two
months-worth of grade level equivalency.
That just doesn’t sit
right with us—especially since there are a number of activities that students
can do over the summer to avoid brain-drain.
We talked with experts
from the Student Achievement Department from the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter
School for a list of activities to help keep the minds of students—from elementary
to high school—sharp over the summer.
Elementary
- Reading is one of the easiest
and most effective ways to ensure a student’s success in school and in
life. Research shows that students who who enjoy reading from a young age
will continue to read and learn throughout their lives. The National
Education Association says that young readers need to become practiced at
recognizing letters and sounds and the best way to do that is to read, A
LOT!
At the elementary level, family involvement plays an important role in developing a child’s reading skills, and summer is a great time to work with them at this essential skills. - Read to your child often and
work with them as they read aloud.
- Take advantage of your local
library and check out new books every week.
- Encourage your child to read
every day
- Start your own family library
and share your favorite books from your childhood with them.
- At the beginning of summer
break, make a list of fun yet educational activities that your child can
do on their own over the next few months. Examples might include paint a
picture, read a book, work a puzzle, listen to a favorite CD, write a
letter or email to family members about their break , or write a short
story. Write each activity on a slip of paper and drop it into the
“Activity Jar.” Every few days, have the student draw a slip of
paper from the jar and do the activity listed.
- If you are planning a family
trip, there are a number of activities that you can use to pass the time
in the car and promote learning.
- Have your child read the road
signs as you travel to your destination.
- When you see signs with
mileage on them, encourage the child to flex their addition and
subtraction skills with the numbers posted.
- Before hitting the road,
create a scavenger hunt for your child to take part in during the drive.
- Help your child to look up
information on the cities and states you will be driving though before
you leave, then on your journey be sure to discuss that information with
them.
- Create a “Serial Story” with
the whole family. One person starts telling a story. As that person
gets to an exciting or suspenseful part, they stop talking and the
next person takes over.
- Summer is a great time to teach
kids about the moon and the stars, thanks to all the clear, warm summer
nights. Watch how the moon changes over the course of the summer. Read
books about the moon and the stars. NASA provides a wealth of resources
that are safe, fun, and educational for children. Click
here to find information on
space-related topics, as well as games, Web quests, and even chats with
NASA experts.
Middle & High
School
- Reading is essential at all
levels. For middle and high school students, their taste in literature is
becoming more developed and they are reading more for pleasure than
anything.
- If they are fans of a series,
i.e. Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of
Narnia, The Hunger Games, etc., encourage them to re-read the
series. When they’re finished with the books, have them invite
their friends over to watch all the movies.
- Have them ask the local
librarian for new authors or books they should read based on other books
they’ve enjoyed. Also, they can ask their teachers for recommend reading
to prepare them for the next year of school.
- Have them start a book club
with their friends and meet once a week to discuss the book. They can
choose books off the New York Times Best Sellers list or check out this
list from The
Telegraph on the 100 books everyone
should read.
- Writing is another essential,
especially because as students progresses through school, the number (and
length) of writing assignments they receive increases. Ways you can
encourage your child’s writing include:
- Have them keep a journal or
write a blog detailing their summer break. Work with your student to
create a list of topics he/she can write about such as: their favorite
class from the past year, a subject they struggled with and how they
moved past it, a review of a book they read or movie they saw, and
someone who inspires them and why.
- Have them identify ten people
(teachers, coaches, family members, etc.) who deserve their thanks. Have
the student write each person a hand-written letter of at least one page
expressing their appreciation and detailing the impact they’ve had on
them.
- Let your child plan a family
meal from beginning to end. Have them choose the recipes, create the list
and set a budget, then go grocery shopping together. While at the store,
have them can calculate the cost savings of items with sales and coupons,
as well teach them to stick to the set budget. While preparing of the
meal, they will be able to work on their fractions and weight conversions
as well.
- We are surrounded by history
and it can be exciting to learn about the history that is right in
your backyard. Have your child research the history of your town or plan a
visit to historical landmarks in your area. Also, encourage them to go to
local parks, zoos, museums, and art galleries to expand their horizons and
learn something new!
- Have your child help you in the
planning of your vacation or trip out of town by:
- Asking for their help in
mapping the fastest route
- Have them look up information
about your destination and find fun and interesting things for you do
while you’re there. While on the trip, be sure to ask them questions
about the places they’ve taken you and why they chose them.
- Have them work on their
math skills by asking them to calculate the miles per gallon your car is
getting and average speed you are traveling.
- Science is around us all of the
time, and it’s all about learning via careful observation and
experimentation. Encourage your student to think like a scientist by
observing, classifying, predicting, and quantifying all summer long by:
- Learning about organic
gardening and growing plants in containers by having them start their own
small garden.
- If you have a pool, ask your
student to help you with adding the chemicals and then learning about how
those chemicals work together to make the pool safe.
- Have your student enroll in a
class at the community college, library or community center. This is a
great way for students to explore different interests they may have from
music or art to poetry or engineering. Also look into summer camps with
specific themes, such as science or music for older students to attend. As
an added bonus, some courses may count towards high school and college
credit!
- Encourage your student to pick
something they love to do and figure out how to use it to make
contributions to others. For example, they could play the piano in a jazz
band, teach residents at a retirement home how to use a computer, or help
run the lights for a play at the community theater.
What activities would
you suggest to help students avoid summer brain-drain? Tell us on our Facebook
page: www.facebook.com/wisconsinvl.
