SCHOOL’S OUT FOR SUMMER!

Campfires, fireflies, sleeping in, driving with the windows down and soaking up the sun are just a few of my favorite things about summer. A break in our daily routines, a chance to escape and time off of school seems so refreshing. But how much damage are we really doing when we take this three month mental break?

Research tells us that “summer brain drain” happens when:

-there is less reading, conversation and quality time with parents or other significant adults

-there isn’t access to books, magazines and other entertaining reading materials

-there aren’t role models to show how lifelong learning is important to children and adults alike

-summer is filled with boredom, passive time-fillers and little intellectual stimulation

Did you know Summer Learning Loss is greater in math than in reading, and on average, students lose up to 2 months of grade level equivalency in math computation skills?

So what can you do to help your child avoid this? There are quite a few online games, apps and summer camps that can steer you in the right direction. So, let’s make learning fun!

-Help students find books that are engaging and entertaining (and on grade level!). Use your local library and the Sylvan Learning BookAdventure.com website as a resource! It’s what they are for!

-Keep your child stimulated with plenty of exercise!

-Make sure they keep reading, writing and calculating with free online games such as Sylvan Play (available in iTunes and Google Play)

-Enroll them in an academic or STEM camp

-Be a good role model! Join in on the fun too!

Summer is a great time for relaxing and shooting the breeze, just make sure you don’t let too much “drainage" occur!