Kids aren't the only ones looking forward to summer. Even parents are ready for a break from the routine of homework, test stress and last-minute projects (if you haven’t found yourself buying poster board at 9 p.m. on a Sunday night, congratulations, your kid is perfect.) But just because school’s out, that doesn’t mean learning should take a complete vacation. I know, I know…just hear me out on this.
For most kids on a traditional nine-month school calendar, it’s easy to get out of the habit of learning. Imagine working out daily for nine months and then stopping cold turkey for three. How much harder would it be to get back on the treadmill? It's the same with our kids’ brains.
A recent survey of 900 elementary school teachers and parents by Carson-Dellosa, a supplemental education publishing company, found:
•Summer learning loss is real and recognized by teachers: 84% of teachers said students forget or “lose” some skills, knowledge or grade-level equivalency over the summer
•Learning over the summer has long-term benefits: 90% of teachers believe if kids keep learning over the summer they will be more successful in the long run
For many children, especially those who may already be struggling, summer learning loss can have an even greater impact. A 2010 study showed that students could lose up to two and a half months of grade-level skills over the summer with math and spelling being hit the hardest. Another study indicates that summer reading loss has a cumulative effect: by sixth grade, students who lose reading skills are on average two years behind their peers academically.
But rest assured, it doesn't require a tremendous amount of effort (or endless nagging!) About 20 minutes of learning and reading a day can keep kids’ minds sharp and makes the transition to the next grade level sooo much smoother.
In addition to research, Carson-Dellosa also offers the award-winning Summer Bridge Activities™. This best-selling series of workbooks, learning cards, and online activities makes it easy for moms and dads to make learning a cool part of the hot summer. Each book also includes fun outdoor and fitness activities, science experiments, character development, stickers, and a completion certificate. Books are available for PreK—Grade 8. You can grab Summer Bridge Activities in participating retail stores or at carsondellosa.com.
Summer Learning Tips For Parents
Sources:
Summer Learning Tips For Parents
•Learning can happen anytime and anywhere. For example, the grocery store is a great place to encourage reading and math. Cooking is great for learning fractions, sequential order, temperature and time.
•Check with your local public library or museum to see what (often free) summer programs they offer. Or check out www.ed.gov to find resources from the U.S. Department of Education.
•Read. Join a summer reading program at your local public library or create your own kid-friendly book club.
•Planning a trip? Involve your kids in planning the route, airport arrival times, even the budget! You can do the same with a summer barbecue or pool party. Have them write the invitations and help figure out how much food and supplies to buy.
•If kids can write, they can blog! Help them set up a summer vacation blog using a free blog platform such as WordPress or TypePad. They can even post photos and memories of their summer vacation.
Sources:
•Carson-Dellosa Summer Learning Study, April 2012
•Average research findings report 2.5 months learning loss per student, the highest losses occurring in math and spelling. http://education.jhu.edu/newhorizons/Journals/spring2010/why-summer-learning
•Summer reading loss is cumulative; these children do not typically catch up in the fall. Their peers are progressing with their skills while they are making up for the summer learning loss. By the end of 6th grade, children who lose reading skills during the summer are on average 2 years behind their peers. http://www.brighthub.com/education/k-12/articles/78894.aspx
•By ninth grade, summer learning loss could be blamed for roughly two-thirds of the achievement gap. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2005863,00.html
