Avoid the Summer Slide by Making the Most of Summer

Avoid the Summer Slide by Making the Most of Summer - Combine Fun and Learning!
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Joseph]Andrew Joseph

Summertime is here, and so are all the camps, beach visits, video games, and parties for the kids. But along with all this fun that the summer brings, it also brings the "summer slide" - a dreaded phenomenon, which parents and educators acknowledge alike, but are at a loss on how to arrest it!

According to the National Summer Learning Association, an average student loses about 2 months of learning over the summer, even more in the case of low income group families, and most if it affects reading and math. Educators realize that besides all the fun, students need to make sure they stay on top of class for next year, and for this, they need to refresh what they learnt in the previous year and take a preview of what can be expected once they get back to school. Parents realize that kids need to be better prepared and really do well in academics to secure their future.

While we all know the importance of avoiding the summer slide, we also know how busy kids are today - Given the innumerable number of activities they have scheduled, how do we strike the right balance? The key idea is not to deprive them of fun and outings, but to diminish the line between fun and learning - Plan outings such that they learn while they explore and visit places, or while they go about daily activities. Kids can keep accounts at home, or read / write up grocery lists - whatever interests your kids, and of course, applies to their grade level.

So what are the things a parent can do to make sure their kids enjoy the summer, yet learn and maintain confidence in skills and studies? Experts suggest some ideas.

1) Visit the library, or the museum.
Parents should encourage visits to the library, the zoo, or museums of interest. Kids love the outing, and learn from it - They can relate history, science at the museum, or reading material at the library to what they've learnt at school.

2) Maintain a journal of summer activities.
Kids love to do creative activities. Why not have your kids maintain a journal of activities over summer? If they visit the zoo, they can click pictures, which they can print and paste into the journal, with an entry about their day. Similarly, they can write about what they did through a day, and add pictures, drawings, or trivia to make it fun.

3) Incorporate math in daily activities.
Kids today don't like to open up books and solve problems, especially during the summer. Experts suggest that parents 'trick' them into doing math - Make them maintain a monthly budget for the kitchen, or calculate the bill and make change at the store. Include any ideas which may be fun and will keep them engaged.

4) Incorporate reading as a habit.
The reality is, most kids find reading a bore, as it's something they're taught to do as a study activity in school. Expose your kids to the joys of reading and books - Most kids love stories at bedtime, and if you create a fantasy world for them through books, they will learn to enjoy it. Let kids read books, daily digests or the newspaper, and have them find new words they don't know the spellings or meanings of - They will love to learn, if given a challenge. Play word games, crosswords - Whatever they like.

5) Use kids' time on the computer as a learning tool.
Kids are almost always on the computer when they're not out. Instead of violent or action games, why not find educational games for them, which allow them to learn while they have fun? Plus, there are loads of sites for kids, which have articles, stories, and some even allow kids to create their own storylines, with characters and graphics. Direct their energy towards creative avenues - It'll have its own reward.

6) Try an online program.
We know kids are busy, and don't like the idea of taking time out for studies during the summer. Think of an   rel=nofollow online program, which doesn't tie them to a schedule, but takes only some of their time for which they are already online, and allows them to learn. Several programs for math and reading are available which address this need. Kids are relatively easier to convince when it comes to learning online than from a book, and they might enjoy learning on their own rather than asking around - It's great for their confidence. A variety of websites have specific programs designed to prepare kids for next year, and keep parents involved... try some out!

Experts feel that the key to a great summer is a delicate balance between fun and learning activities. Personally, I feel that a kid should not have to devote more than a few hours a week to dedicated learning - after all, it is the summer:) - But these few hours should be worth a lot more in the long run. And with all the fun activities parents can involve their kids in, it all falls in place anyway.

Andrew Joseph - TenMarks Education Inc.

Andrew Joseph is a parent and a co founder of TenMarks Education, a company passionate about K12 education, which wishes to change the way kids learn and build a stronger future through a strong foundation in math.

TenMarks offers intelligent supplemental math education for kids (K-12), through structured, state mapped curriculums, custom assessments, worksheets, hints, video lessons, tests, and practice. http://www.tenmarks.com/

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Avoid-the-Summer-Slide-by-Making-the-Most-of-Summer---Combine-Fun-and-Learning!&id=4626916] Avoid the Summer Slide by Making the Most of Summer - Combine Fun and Learning!