If kids don’t use it, they lose it – studies show that without the mental stimulation kids get in the classroom, they can lose up to three months of math and reading skills. It’s known as “brain drain” or the “summer slide” and it’s a challenge kids and teachers face at the start of every new school year.
What’s more, kids and teachers then have to work that much harder at the beginning of the school year to make up for that learning loss.
Think about it: the weeks it takes kids and teachers to review what’s been forgotten would be better spent working on learning new concepts and skills. Instead, time is spent getting kids back up to speed.
The good news is there are things parents and their children can do to prevent summer learning loss and it’s easier than you think!
Best Ways to Prevent Brain Drain over the Summer Months!
The key to preventing brain drain at any age is to keep learning through the summer months and, ideally, you balance that learning with play.
# 1. Summer school is the easiest and best way to keep up with skills over the summer! Enjoy a technology or an art class in addition to keeping up with core classes of Math, Science, and English.
#2. Head out to your neighborhood school supply store and you’ll find a number of workbooks that help kids keep learning. Workbooks like Summer Bridge Activities cover a variety of subjects and kids can do a couple of worksheets a week along with their summer school program to maintain skills and concepts.
#3. Another easy way to keep learning over the summer is to read. Libraries, as well as summer schools, offer incentive programs for kids to encourage them to read regularly, which is an added benefit to this activity.
Community Learning
For older children and high schoolers who choose an online school platform, summer jobs and volunteer work can be a fun and creative way to avoid brain drain and make a bit of spending money in the process!
And don’t forget that even family vacations offer opportunities for learning. Get hands-on, plan family adventures and experiences, make things, and don’t underestimate the value of spending time together as a family!
It is ALL possible when you choose an online summer school as a platform to maintain core skills during the summer months.
Stay Cool!😄
