Avoid Summer Brain DrainThere are ways you can help bridge the gap between school years - while still keeping summer fun.CHARLOTTE, N.C. - With some time off from their full-time job - school, kids have more time to picnic in the park, play outside, watch their favorite movie or play video games. That time away from hitting the books can lead to 'summer brain drain.' Mom Latonya Spruill has seen it firsthand. "If you're not teaching them over the summer, it seems like they've got to start all over from the beginning," says Spruill. "A kid is going to be learning no matter what he or she is doing but the kinds of activities tend to be much less directed in the summer and there's a consequence to that," says Dr. Sean Knuth of Southeast Psych. Lyndsay Phillips, a teacher at Whitewater Academy says educators are doing what they can to combat summer learning loss. A Duke University study found that all students suffer losses in math while low income households have larger losses in reading skills. Dr. Knuth says take advantage of every day experiences to build up those core areas. "If you think about cooking that's math, that's patience, that's following direction and reading comprehension. You take them to the farmer's market you can help them learn about the money aspect of cooking." At any age, the more you engage in your child's interests the more natural the learning becomes. "Learning the video games they like to play or reading the books that their children like to read all those things are great because it creates kind of a family bond and it gives them things to talk about and discuss," explains Knuth. Summer should be fun and with a little balance you can keep your kids brain from going into deep hibernation. |
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