BRAIN DRAIN

Brain Drain or how to keep your kids learning skills sharp over the summer break

I know I used to look forward to summer vacation as a child, (maybe not so much as a mother) but still there was something about those carefree days of lounging around, swimming, and playing with friends all day.  Little did we know that we were probably victims of “Brain Drain”, that loss of knowledge and skills that were acquired during the school year.

Students who don’t read or participate in learning activities during the summer months can lose a grade level of math and reading skills equal to two months of learning according to a study at Johns Hopkins University. If kids are not exposed to books in the home or given the opportunity to read they come back to school further behind than when they left at the start of the summer.

So what we can do as parents and caregivers to keep children engaged over the summer months to prevent this loss of skills? Here are some fun activities to plan.

1. Plant a garden. Kids will learn about seed dirt, and where food comes from. It’s also good exercise getting out and working together in a garden.  To tie in this activity with reading here are some reading suggestions.

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1. Form a home or group theater. Kids can write, produce, act and perform a story. This will sharpen writing, speaking, and art skills. They could perform at home or in a park for a great family night of fun.
2. Visit a Zoo, planetarium, science museum or other such place. We are fortunate to have all of these within an hour of our town and the kids really enjoy them no matter their age.
3. For home activities get involved with your kids in the kitchen. Preparing a dish from a cookbook requires math skills, reading skills along with eye hand coordination. Or you could build a birdhouse together. Again math skills and eye hand coordination are utilized.
4. Join a summer reading Program. This of course is my favorite one being a book nerd and book seller.  Most local libraries offer a reading program often giving small prizes as rewards.  The Gatesville Library has online registration for their program http://www.ci.gatesville.tx.us/index.asp?SEC={858CCB52-342A-437D-9B8E-8271BEA92F6B}&Type=QUICKFORM&persistdesign=none

Often working parents struggle to make time to attend these events at the library so another option would be to join the Barefoot Books World Passport Reading Program. With this program you can travel the globe without leaving home. You will increase their global awareness; create knowledge and tolerance of other cultures while boosting their literary skills. A child needs to read at least 6 books over the summer to maintain their knowledge and reading level that they had at the end of the school year.  

Kids will get access to their own passport reading log activity, and you will receive updates full of tips to help.

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