Most every parent recognizes the scene: “Yaayyy! It’s summertime!” inevitably morphs into, “I’m sooo bored…there’s nothing to do.” It’s mind-numbing for parents to attempt to plan entertaining, meaningful activities for a nearly three-month stretch. When those dull summer moments eventually arise, they beckon even the most resourceful kids to turn to electronic gadgets to fill the boredom. The result? Summer skill plunge.
In multiple studies, research has demonstrated that our children lose up to 30% of their learning from the previous school year over the long summer break. Admittedly, students in other countries continue their schooling through the summer, giving them a distinct academic edge over many of our graduates.
Well those are disheartening statistics, you may be thinking. But they don’t have to be. There is a solution to the summer skill plunge.
Successful Learning
Study after study has shown that “spaced repetition” is the most effective form of learning. That means, we ought to be helping students to continually review and repeat prior concepts…then add new skills on to the previous skills. This not only helps students to completely master learning concepts, but it also helps them to retain their knowledge long-term. No more “in-one-ear-and-out-the-other” learning!
The 1st marking period is already drawing to a close….
Are your child’s report card grades not as strong as you had hoped? Don’t wait too long to reach out for help!
The first step in helping your child to be successful this year is to accurately identify their skill levels. We can help parents to identify any underlying skill gaps and create a solution to fill them. This is the best way to answer the question: “WHY is my child struggling in a subject.”
Are evenings more like a war-zone at your house?
When schedules permit, consider instituting a “Homework before Dinner” routine.
By the time kids have unwound from school, had dinner, and engaged in myriad other distractions, who wants to do more school work?? It takes a super-dose of effort and discipline to re-focus on homework…like trying to start-up a stopped train—wheels straining and squealing all the way.
