The Washington Post asked teachers how to prevent summer brain drain since as Gary Huggins, chief executive of the National Summer Learning Association observed. "… studies show that kids lose as much as two to three months of math and reading skills over the summer, with the losses being more marked among lower-income kids."
You might think that a teacher's first advice would be to enroll your child in summer classes or to bring out the flash cards every night but a fourth grade teacher interviewed thinks parents should let their kids play. This is not bad advice because children do learn through play and rather than fretting about them forgetting things, we might remember that some concepts need time to settle in a child’s brain.
The fourth grade teacher did add that parents can promote learning in fun ways that don't feel exactly like school. Here are her suggestions:
Have a conversation: During the school year, you may be rushing to school, to work, to activities and leaving little time for earnest talks. Take some time to really talk with your child, understand how he or she thinks, and share your thoughts as well.
- Summer Camp at Horizon!
- Plan trips: Whether it’s a long vacation or a day trip, you can sneak some education into the planning. Your child can help you budget for expenses, examine schedules, and look at maps.
- Write postcards: If you do go away, you can have your child write postcards to family or friends back home.
- Making dinner: If your child is old enough, he or she can prepare dinner one night because “it involves math, organizational skills and, perhaps most importantly, life skills.”
Your elementary school aged child can also attend summer camp at Horizon Education Centers: our summer programs are designed to help students achieve academically.
