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What to do over the summer? |
If you are like most people, you probably view the summer months as a break from your child’s education. After all, summer is supposed to be a time for vacations and playing outside – not school work. There is definitely nothing wrong with enjoying a summer free from school work, but there could be serious consequences for your kids if you avoid learning altogether.
Consider these statistics provided by Ron Fairchild, Executive Director of the Johns Hopkins University Center for Summer Learning:
- All students experience learning losses when they do not engage in educational activities during the summer.
- On average, students lose approximately 2.6 months of math computation skills during the summer months.
As the statistics above show, the cost to a student’s education of not staying active and engaged in learning over the summer can be severe. Research shows that most teachers spend the first 4 to 6 weeks of the school year re-teaching material that students have forgotten over the summer.
Being pro-active and taking advantage of the opportunities the summer offers can provide a tremendous boost to your child’s performance next school year.
Here are some of the things you can do to help your child avoid Summer Learning Loss and give them an advantage next school year:
- The summer months are an excellent time for your child to fill in learning gaps or zoom ahead with enrichment activities. Consider getting a Summer Tutor to help keep your child on track over the summer.
- Learn to love your local library…and librarian! It’s a wonderful place to promote the love of reading, and the librarian can suggest grade-level books that will keep your child’s interest.
- Check out some of the great learning websites that kids can access for free. There are dozens of free sites that offer fun, but educational games. (Google: “educational games”)
- Your child’s teacher is also an excellent resource for ideas on what to do over the summer.
You don’t have to sacrifice relaxation and fun this summer in order to avoid Summer Learning Loss. Just devoting an hour or two a day can make a world of difference!
If your child struggled in school this past year, you should consider getting them a tutor to help fill in some of those gaps over the summer. The summer offers a great opportunity for helping kids catch up!
For advanced students, Summer Tutoring can offer a great enrichment opportunity to help keep them challenged and engaged in learning. A good enrichment tutor can make learning fun and can help to inspire a life-long love of learning.
So remember, the summer is not only a great time for kids to stay active physically, but also mentally! If you provide them with fun and engaging opportunities for learning, you will be fighting off Summer Learning Loss and helping them prepare for next school year!
Great Appleton Summer Programs:
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