“Brain drain,” or summer learning loss, is the phenomenon in which students fall back on what they learned throughout the year during their summer break. According to studies from the National Summer Learning Association, kids lose as much as two to three months of math and reading skills over the summer! Teachers can recognize this problem as they often spend the first few weeks of the school year reviewing old concepts. But summer doesn’t have to be a time of fall-back.
Here are some helpful tips inspired by the Washington Post for families to fight the brain drain slide.
Elementary Students
For the elementary school child, exploring the city with your child and connecting real-life with school learning is a great way to keep their minds active. Checking out labels together in the grocery store, watching animals at the zoo, or visiting the Children’s Museum can create opportunities to practice reading skills in real-life contexts. Using money while shopping and taking time to prepare foods together can also provide fabulous opportunities to demonstrate applications of math skills in real life.
Middle School Students
Middle school is a very big transition, a time when your child may feel disconnected from enjoyment of learning, as the expectations in school and frequency of exams increases. Because of this, having a more non-traditional approach to learning can be highly beneficial. Take your middle schoolers to Old Town or a museum and help them make relevant connections to the concepts from history and science they’ve learned in school.
High School Students
Students in high school put a huge amount of stress on themselves. College and their future is constantly on their minds. For this reason, reminding high school-age students that learning is a fun and lifelong pursuit can revitalize their motivation for the new school year. For example, starting a family book club where the whole family reads can be an enjoyable experience. It can be a New York Times bestseller, or classic like, Charles Dickens, as long as the family can discuss the book together.
To boost targeted academic skills for your child this summer, try our one-on-one programs. In our four- or eight-week programs, your child will make strides in the fundamentals for reading, writing, or mathematics and build confidence to carry through a successful school year.
