Easing The Summer Brain Drain
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- 6/17/2009 |
- 10:00 am
Seems that every summer we hear parents and teachers lamenting the fact that the long break from school impacts a student's overall knowledge base in a negative way. Often referred to as "the summer brain drain," the idea is that too much down time allows kids to not only fritter away what they might have learned in the previous school year, but also gets them out of learning mode.
If you're concerned about this, let me suggest a few things that might help ease the problem...
If you think about it, kids look forward to their summer break with such enthusiasm not simply because it means no school, but because it also means lots of fun activities. Well, why not think about all of the ways you can weave learning opportunities into those activities?
Examples: If you're taking your kids out to a baseball game, talk to them about the way a player's batting average is determined. Even if they only keep track of a player's average for that one game, it becomes a fun math project for them. If a guy gets three hits in four at-bats, they'll suddenly understand where the .750 average comes from. (For your own help, three hits divided by four at-bats.)
If you take them to the aquarium, why not have them research the history of sharks. Why sharks? Well, besides the fact that they're fascinating animals, their history dates back literally tens of millions of years, and provides a great opportunity for young people to learn about how some species die out, while others evolve and mutate into the familiar creatures we see today.
Kids love going to the movies. I know a parent who did something fun after taking her son to see one of his favorite superheroes in a summer action flick. She challenged him to go home afterwards and create his own comic book, featuring that superhero. It allowed him to not only come up with his own unique story (you KNOW I love that!), but also challenged him artistically. He ended up breaking out the colored pencils and created an eight-page masterpiece, completely illustrated. He felt like a total rock star afterwards.
Going on a long road trip? Why not use the time in the car to investigate the geography along the way, or invite the kids to plot different courses on a map, complete with details on distance and ETA.
And of course there are so many more that you can come up with. Just because the kids might be out of class for a long break, it doesn't mean that their brains have to shut down completely. The goal is to find fun activities that will embellish their experiences out of school. They'll love it, and you probably will too!
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Jen
July 8, 2009 6:04 am
From the perspective of a teacher, I have to applaud these ideas for summer fun! Each day is full of a vast number of learning possibilities that often get overlooked. The sad part about this is that this is great bonding time for parents and children. Keep your eyes open for simple times to help students practice their skills over the summer and the payoff will show in school. I know your child's teacher will love you for sending them back to school ready to work.
