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Arts & Entertainment

OPINION: Stop the Summer Brain Drain

Turn activities in teaching moments during the summer months.

With summer right around the corner school children across the country are anxiously awaiting the final school bell, ringing in two months of classroom-free enjoyment.

The thought of summer vacation brings with it visions of lazy days on the beach, sleepless sleepovers and camping outside under the stars. Camps will soon fill with piles of enthusiastic, energy-filled kids with nothing but fun on their minds. Here, contagious laughter and squeals of joy will fill the air. Summer is a time to put down the school books and pick up the jump ropes, slip-and-slides, bicycles and swim goggles.  

While school children bask in the stress free relaxation of summer, it is important for parents to keep young minds active and stimulated during this reprieve from formal academics. Research has shown that children who do not keep their minds active during the summer months can lose on average 2.6 months of grade-level equivalency in math skills and as much as a year's reading level. This is referred to as summer learning loss. 

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There are plenty of ways to keep your children’s brains challenged without textbooks or workbooks. Recreational reading both by adult as well as children is one way to do this. According to Maria Antonia Pinon, director of the All Aboard Family Literacy Program at Miami's non-profit Institute for Child and Family Health, "Children learn by imitation. If Mom or Dad reads, the child is going to follow suit. And if the child can't read, read to him. Any kind of learning, when attached to love, will create a habit." Read, read, read. 

Building on a child’s existing interest will help him to learn and grow. Cultivate his enthusiasm. For instance, if he likes vegetables, plant and harvest a vegetable garden. If he likes a particular food, buy the ingredients and help him bake it himself. Turn the kitchen into a math lab where he can enjoy the fruits of his culinary labor! If he likes music, encourage him to write song lyrics and then videotape him performing it. Hands-on learning can be integrated into daily activities under the umbrella of fun. The key is to get kids engaged. 

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Turn every day activities into teaching moments. From farmers markets to festivals to museums to hiking and fishing, the opportunities for learning are endless. It is through these experiences that parents are able to strike a balance between learning and fun. 

Summer is a time when many families take vacations. If traveling by car, a game of “I Spy” to locate road signs for numbers, letters and colors will keep inquiring minds alert and active. Older children can be challenged to calculate travel time and mileage and estimate gasoline cost. 

While the main goal of summer is to relax and have fun, parents should purpose to factor learning into the schedule. Through fun and interesting games and activities, children will be encouraged to retain and build on what they have learned in school. By keeping young minds active, kids are less likely to struggle when September hits.

Marlborough’s Project Summer Adventure 2011 is accepting registrations for their summer programs. Among the activities offered: arts & crafts, tennis, soccer, games, contests, swimming, special events and field trips.

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