Quick Techniques to Keep Your Child Thinking and Learning All Summer

Summer vacation is officially underway, and a few weeks into it, you might be looking at the calendar to see when your little ones (or not so little ones) will be heading back to the classroom. While summer can mean heaps of fun for kids (and endless frustration for parents), it can also lead to what some teachers like to call "brain drain". The mind is like a sponge in many ways - it can soak up information at an astounding rate - but remove the sponge from water, and it dries up in a hurry. So, too, with the human brain and the learning process. Students need to exercise their brains in the summer just as much as they exercise their bodies. If they do, when school is back in session you (and they) will be astounded by how much knowledge they retained (or even gained) during those lazy summer months.

Unfortunately, many parents don't know how to help their kids keep sharp academically during the summer months. And those who do have the knowledge they need, often fear the battle that will ensue if the word "school" is mentioned on a hot July day. But fear not, brain exercise is not as difficult as it may seem on the surface.

First, your child should read for at least a few minutes every day (preferably not just before bed, as exhaustion kicks in then). For the most part, it doesn't matter what your child is reading - it should be something that is at their reading level, and about a topic that interests them (even if it bores you). Yes, magazines do count as reading, although if you can find a book that will "hook" your child, that is preferable, as there is something to be said for sustained attention to one plotline. You should also read with or to your child as frequently as you can. Reading aloud is an important skill, and it requires a great deal of practice. The more you read to your child, and ask them to read to you, the more fluent their oral and silent reading will become.

In addition to reading, your child should get frequent practice with math skills. If your child is young enough to enjoy it, try paying for things in cash instead of pulling out that credit card; then ask your child to compute and check the change. Older kids can try more adventurous math. A young teen can practice "pacing" in the backyard and estimate how long their gait is. Then, they can count steps to their favorite spots in the yard or around town and estimate the total distance in feet. This can then be converted into yards and miles. High school kids can be encouraged to pick a stock and "invest" in it - tracking how much money they would lose or gain each day. Sports fans can calculate baseball stats, and artistic kids can estimate how much paint it would take to paint their room. When dining out, ask kids to compute the tip. Sneak math in wherever and whenever you can.

Finally, encourage your child to keep up with current events (in an age appropriate way). Buy a world map, and have lower elementary students find places from the newspaper on the map. Choose a country to "research" at a local travel agency. Bring home brochures of the region and have your youngster decide what s/he likes and doesn't like about that destination. Upper elementary and middle school kids should be encouraged to read selected articles from newspapers. I like to pick an "article of the day" and discuss it at the dinner table. High school students should be encouraged to watch the news or read the newspaper each day, and should be engaged in thoughtful discussion of what interests them. They can even be asked to select the "article of the day" for younger siblings! Discuss local politics, including government officials, laws, and other political goings on as much as you feel appropriate, and encourage your children to think through and defend their positions as you converse.

The key to keeping your children on track for school in the fall is simple: exercise their brains. Engage them in activities that require them to use the knowledge they've gained, and encourage them to acquire new knowledge at every turn. Before you know it, school will be back in session, and we don't want any flabby brains arriving in the classroom!