How to Keep Your Child From Losing Reading and Math Skills Over the Summer
There is no school, but that does not mean that your children should stop learning. The researchers found that children can lose one to two months of reading and math skills over the summer.
“All young people lose math and reading skills when they are unable to apply or develop those skills,” said Nazanin Khalilnaji-Otto, Campaign Director for Summer Matters . “More than 100 years of research has shown that students generally score lower on standardized tests at the end of the summer vacation than they did on the same tests at the beginning of the summer.”
This phenomenon, called summer learning loss, affects low-income students the most, and as students progress to higher levels of learning, the achievement gap widens. Between 50 and 66 percent of this gap is attributed to summer school loss. “As a result, low-income youth are less likely to graduate from high school or go to college,” Otto said.
Sure, students should be able to take a break from school, but there are some simple ways parents can fix their summer learning loss without ruining their kids’ time in the sun.
Keep reading
Books are useful for almost everything from entertaining your child to teaching activism . Lifehacker previously wrote about infographics that show how long it takes kids to read popular children’s books . If your child doesn’t like reading, there are several methods to encourage them without making them hate books (or you can turn their closet into an attic for reading ).
In terms of books, libraries are helpful, and there are often summer reading programs that reward children and teens for reading. Some also have book clubs and activities that also teach your children to read. Or you can arrange to exchange books with other parents. There are also book subscription services like Epic! , a subscription service that allows kids to access over 20,000 books for less than $ 5 a month.
Use free events and programs
Summer Matters recommends visiting local resources such as parks, museums, libraries, and recreation centers. Some museums are free for children, and many local libraries have museum tickets for you to check out.
Local nonprofits like the Boys and Girls Club and the YMCA also offer cheap or free summer camps. If not, you may also be able to serve your community by inviting your child to volunteer work (if he is old enough).
Become active
In addition to losing math and reading skills, many children gain unhealthy weight during the summer months. Summer Matters recommends limiting your screen time and doing something fun, like scavenging or going to the pool.
Exploring the various parks and attractions will also encourage your child to be more active. Geocaching , where you can find hidden treasures hidden by other strangers, is another alternative if you don’t want to go on a scavenger hunt. In addition, it can help children improve their navigation skills.
Ask teacher
Teachers never stop helping your children learn after high school. You can ask teachers to talk about extra activities and reading lists that the children can work on during the summer. Scholastic has also recommended reading lists for children of all ages. Your child’s teacher can recommend online programs your child can use during the summer.
For example, there is a free summer online math problem for kids in grades two through ninth. For younger kids, Pinterest has tons of math game suggestions. You can even organize a math camp at home.