Come On, Keep Learning in Summer

from Shine Newsletter, Summer 2006

Did you know that the average student forgets almost 60 percent of the math and reading skills learned during the school year? Help prevent this loss without making summertime feel like study hall.

Children enjoy the shift from school to pool and aren’t likely to request that they keep learning over the summer. That’s why it’s essential that you sneak some educational opportunities into their warm-weather fun. Here are some activities that keep kids’ brains going while they’re having a blast:

• Start a publishing house. Visit museums near your home and help your child write a family newsletter about your summer adventures.
• Make it a double. Make cookies or another family favorite. Have your child read the directions to you and measure the ingredients. For a math challenge, double the recipe, and have her figure out the new measurements.
• Form a planning committee. Enlist your child’s help in planning a summer vacation. She can help you read maps and brochures, plan a budget and — if she is in fifth grade or higher — calculate gas mileage every time you fill up the tank.