A Summer of Fun + Learning = Improved Academic Skills
Sylvan Learning provides helpful tips for parents(Baltimore, MD, May 27, 2010) – Summer is almost here and for most kids it means leaving behind classes and homework. But, according to Sylvan Learning, summer should not be a learning-free time for kids.
The National Center for Summer Learning states, "Most students lose about two months of grade-level equivalency in mathematical computation skills over summer months." Sylvan cautions that even the best students forget lessons they have learned during the school year. And that means that summer should not be an excuse to put kids' brains on hiatus—in fact, it's the perfect time for a different kind of learning.
Parents can play a key role in reinforcing learning on an ongoing basis. Sylvan suggests the following tips for parents to ensure that summer time is a good balance of free discovery, play, leisure and learning for our kids.
Summer Math Tips for Kids:
We're surrounded by words and numbers every day. Here are a few ideas for summer math learning which can be adapted to a family's needs:- Grocery store math. Counting, estimating, and making change are good math exercises. What can we get for $10.00? Will you count the change for me, please? Let me know when we've reached fifteen items in the cart, please.
- Kitchen math. Practice fractions by using recipes or reading cookbooks. Practice numbers by counting the cutlery needed for dinner. Measuring ingredients is a perfect math lesson. Don't tell them, though.
- Money math. Teach about making change. Count change in a piggy bank. How many ways can I make 45 cents? Open a savings account and watch the amount rise with deposits and interest. Talk about the advantages of saving for a big purchase or for a rainy day.
- Calendar math. Count down the days to special events like the first day of school, birthdays, holidays, vacations, assignments, and appointments.
- Game math. Use cards, dominoes or dice ("math cubes") to reinforce counting, addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division skills. Play Chutes and Ladders, Monopoly, and other games that encourage counting. Together, do the Sudoku puzzles in the daily paper.
- Beach math. Count starfish, seashells, umbrellas, pizza joints, flip flops and beach balls. Or, dig holes, then encourage kids to fill one-quarter, one-half, three-quarters with water or seashells. Or, draw geometric shapes in the sand – circles, squares, rectangles, triangles – and identify them.
Summer Reading:
Reading is an adventure that begins early in a child's life and should extend beyond the classroom. Summer months are the perfect time to make reading fun and inspire children to develop a lifelong friendship with books. Here are some tips that parents can use this summer:- Offer a variety of publications (magazines, newsletters, books, etc.) so kids can make their own literary choices. Keep books in each car, at the house, at the homes of family members, etc. Availability is key.
- Encourage your kids to read everything and read aloud, such as food labels, movie disclaimers, street signs, store names, music lyrics, and restaurant menus.
- Schedule "library time." Just as a family schedules swimming practice, set a specific time aside for visiting the library.
- Create a book-on-tape. Encourage your child to read a book aloud and tape it. As a special gift or surprise, send the book-on-tape to a loved one with a special message.
- Read before bedtime. Reading is relaxing. Allow your child to stay up 15 minutes later each night – as long as he/she is reading.
- Read aloud to your children. No matter the age of the child, reading together can create a lasting family memory.
Summer Writing Tips:
Summer writing can be fun, expressive, and skill-building. Give your child the confidence to be ready for school in the fall, and help her teacher get right down to business without spending precious time reviewing skills kids have forgotten in the summer. Here are some ideas to keep your kids writing this summer.- Collect interesting, amusing, thought-provoking summer pictures from magazines, the Internet, or your own family albums. "Prompt" your children with ideas about writing, like a favorite summer memory or a poem about summer fun.
- Go to www.bookadventure.com for cool reading ideas, and then write about the books and stories you’ve read together. Don’t call this a "book report," even if that's what it really is.
- Keep a family photo journal and have the children write captions for the pictures or a short story summary. A variation of this is to keep a summer scrapbook with pictures and memorabilia of your favorite things.
- Keep a personal or family "summer things I notice" journal. Every once in a while, everyone in the family contributes a short piece of descriptive writing, a drawing, a favorite poem or an original one, favorite memories, interesting observations, etc. Watch the journal grow.
- Yes, even in an electronic age, kids love getting letters in the mail. Help your child have a pen-pal and keep up a correspondence for the summer and beyond.
To help, Sylvan Learning is offering a free online Summer Fun & Learning Guide for Parents. The entire family can enjoy grade-specific activities that nurture reading, writing and math skills. Families can visit the "Parent Resources" area of www.SylvanLearning.com and download or print the booklet that keeps children learning all summer long while still enjoying trips to the beach, summer camp, swimming and outdoor playtime.
For additional educational resources for children in grades pre-K through 12, please visit www.SylvanLearning.com or call 1-800-31-SUCCESS.
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