School's out and your kids are enjoying a well-deserved break. But while they're taking it easy, will they forget what they learned in school?
During summer vacation kids between kindergarten and sixth grade tend to experience "brain drain," typically a loss of one to two months of reading and math skills, says Ron Fairchild, executive director of the Center for Summer Learning at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
"The summer slide occurs when they don't engage in educational activities for several weeks. It's the generally accepted notion that if you don't use it, you lose it," he says. "As a result, teachers tend to spend four to six weeks each fall re-teaching material learned the previous year."
What to do? Don't make your child finish all those incomplete workbooks the teacher sent home or insist on daily study habits, says Janice Sawyer, director of Hofstra University's Saturday Classes for Young People in Uniondale. "The best way for them to retain the skills they learned is to make learning enjoyable, not an obligation. Then they won't even know they're learning."
Besides, students do need a break. "They need to learn the ability to relax so they can find the appropriate relief from the pressure to perform throughout the school year," says Charles Sophy, a child psychiatrist in private practice in East Hampton and Los Angeles.
Tips on preventing brain drain
How can you keep your kids from experiencing "brain drain" over the summer? Foster summertime learning without an obvious agenda, experts say. Educators Ron Fairchild of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and Janice Sawyer of Hofstra University, along with child psychiatrist Charles Sophy, recommend the following math, reading, writing, science and social studies activities that parents and kids can do together -- for the fun of it. But before you begin, keep these guidelines in mind:
Start with their interests. If kids like computers, for instance, expose them to as much material as possible that allows them to become a real student of their hobbies, like books or a summer class.
Look into vacations with educational themes, like a trip to a historical village or science museum.
Limit time with TV and video games, just as you do during the school year.
Maintain a schedule so kids have structure to their day. This makes the transition back to school in September an easier task.
Throughout all of these activities, says Sawyer, not only will you reinforce learned skills, you'll also create memories to take back to school -- and beyond.
Math
There are plenty of ways to practice math skills daily.
Track sports statistics and keep a chart.
Hang a thermometer outside to track the temperature throughout the summer.
Make paper airplanes and measure their flight.
Cook a meal together, letting your child use measuring spoons and cups and helping to divide ingredients into equal parts.
Take it a step further, and let them help you shop. Tell them how much money you'd like to spend and have them estimate the total cost of purchases before you get to the check-out.
Writing
