The Summertime Snooze

School is out and summer is here!  I know the last thing you want to think about is anything academic right now, but I just can’t leave you for the summer without telling you how important it is for your student to engage in some sort of intellectual stimulation this summer. It really is a disservice to have your child go 3 months without any educational stimulation; it is a disservice that allows the summertime snooze to take over and cloud your student’s brain.

Research has shown that students can lose up to 2.6 months of  learning during the summer.  The National Summer Learning Association has also found the following:

• Summer learning loss for students is greater in math than reading.

• Summer learning loss is greatest in math “computation” and spelling.

• For disadvantaged students, the summer months significantly widen the achievement gap between the wealthy and the poor.

I don’t want your student to become part of these statistics, so I am sharing with you some of my favorite summer secrets to staving off the “snooze”.  My suggestions run the spectrum from a minimal cost investment to a more costly one, and from a minimal time expenditure to a more substantial time investment.

Minimal Cost & Minimal Time:

1)      Flash cards with math facts.  Great way for 2nd-6th graders to stay brushed up on the fundamentals.

2)      Go to your local teaching supply store or book store and purchase some math and reading workbooks.  Workbooks can range from $6