Students, who do little during the summer months to stimulate their minds, experience what is known as “summer slide.” This is when they lose academic skills, mostly in the areas of math and reading, and then experience setbacks when they return to school in the fall.
The U.S. Department of Education has reported that students’ reading skills fall behind about 25 percent each summer. The average student also loses about 2.6 months of grade-level equivalency in math computation skills during the summer.
In addition to brain activity, children also need to participate in physical and social activities during the summer to keep their bodies strong. Much of a child’s social stimulation can be received through interaction and activities with family members.
Also, parents need to help their children prepare for the next grade level during the summer months. This is increasingly important for those children who will enter kindergarten or the next academic stage such as middle or high school. (Parent Involvement with Iowa PIRC by Melissa Walker Summer Learning Tips for Parents)
Tips/Pointers-
• Read: Parents should read to their child every day. Children improve more quickly when an adult asks questions about the material and makes the child re-read difficult passages. Books are too difficult for a child if he or she does not understand five or more words in a 100- word section. Also, set an example and make sure the child sees you reading.
• On the road: Play “I Spy” with road signs for numbers, colors and shapes. Ask older children to estimate and calculate the travel time to a destination.
• Get outdoors: Take children to parks and trails for walks or to ride bicycles, or plant a garden or flowers together. Spend time before the outing to gather information and ask children about the plants and wildlife they encounter.
• In the kitchen: Allow a child to help out by measuring ingredients and reading recipes. Ask more challenging questions such as how many pints are in a quart and how to divide ingredients.
• Online: Numerous universities and community colleges offer free online courses, some of which can be downloaded to portable devices.
Websites such as readingrocket.org can give parents reading tips to help their child at various ages.
You may contact me through e-mail or by phone. I look forward to hearing from you.
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Mrs. Grgurich and the Learning Center's News Hillsboro R-3 Hillsboro Primary 101 Leon Hall Parkway Hillsboro, MO 63050
