Keeping kids academically engaged during the summer months

[rangerrebew]

Keeping kids academically engaged during the summer months
June 9, 2017
Emily Hayden encourages parents to read outside the box and make learning fun during the summer months. Credit: Ryan Riley

It was not unusual for Emily Hayden to spend the first three or four weeks of a new school year re-acquainting her students with material they had learned the previous year. That's typically how long it would take to overcome the learning students lost during three months of summer vacation.

Often called "summer slide" or "summer brain drain," educators recognize that time away from school is going to have an impact come fall. Hayden, an assistant professor of literacy education at Iowa State University and former elementary school teacher, says every day she spent playing catch up was one less day to devote to new material. While students deserve some time off, Hayden encourages parents to incorporate learning into summer activities.


Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2017-06-kids-academically-engaged-summer-months.html#jCp

[DB]

There's more to learn than what's offered in school. I'm not sympathetic.

[Cripplecreek]

There's more to learn than what's offered in school. I'm not sympathetic.

There is but will kids go outside and learn anything?

When I was a kid I was outside every minute I could be outside and I was definitely learning because I was a curious kid in the country. I distinctly remember being 6 or 7 years old, laying on my belly pushing ants into ant lion pits and asking for a book to learn about them.

[Wingnut]

Back in my day the "Summer slide" was in a park play ground right next to the monkey bars and ball fields where we played till the street lights came on at night. 

[Polly Ticks]

Back in my day the "Summer slide" was in a park play ground right next to the monkey bars and ball fields where we played till the street lights came on at night.

Or sliding into home plate at the neighborhood pickup baseball game.

[Wingnut]

Or sliding into home plate at the neighborhood pickup baseball game.

In the gravel with shorts on!

[Cripplecreek]

Or sliding into home plate at the neighborhood pickup baseball game.

Playing outside is a great physics teacher.