Your child is looking forward to a whole two months of sleeping in, swimming and snacking, but before they know it, it’ll be time to head back to school. Taking a long break over the summer doesn’t mean that kids have to go back to the classroom having forgotten everything they learned a few months ago.
Here are some tips for boosting your child’s education by preventing summer learning loss:
1. Get Out Of The House. Take your kids to a museum, zoo or interactive science center. They’ll have fun and learn without even realizing it.
2. Grab Some Books. Plan a few trips to the library or the bookstore and empower your child by letting them do the choosing. Work a reading regime into July and August–depending on your child’s age and reading level you can assign a book a night or a certain number of pages a week. Your kid will have an easier transition back to school in the fall.
3. Sneak Some Math Into The Schedule. Ask them: How many quarters will you have to save to buy that game you want? Or, if you save your $1/week allowance how much will you have by the time school starts?
4. Do The Writing Thing. Steve Perry, principal of the Capital Prep Magnet School in Hartford, CT., says: “Have [your kids] put together a summer magazine or set them up with their own blog. If your kids want to go to a movie…or concert, let them–so long as they write a review.”
5. Take The Time. If you encourage your child to dedicate just two hours a week to studying a subject they love, you’ll increase their brain power…and every little bit counts.
