The kids can’t wait for the break, but some studies show they can lose two months worth of learning over the summer. Parents can help prevent that.
Fox’s Lisa Brady reports in this week’s Fox on Family:
When school’s out, summer learning loss can set in especially in reading:
(Randall) “Often times children are right at reading level, some are, you know, more advanced and some are lagging behind a little bit and that extra loss over the summer really hurts those children.”
Literacy advocate, author, and mother-of-seven Noelle Randall says just 20 to 30 minutes of reading a day can keep learning going and the fun stuff counts, like comics and joke books, as long as they’re not too easy:
(Randall) “It’s really just that cognitive development, anything that kind of gets that brain working and starts working that side of the brain where they’re kind of creative some of the images, forward thinking, you know they’re filling in the gaps.”
Workbooks can give a leg up in other subjects. And not everyday is okay; any summer learning is better than none:
(Randall) “The key to it is obviously trying to dedicate to it as much as you can and be consistent so that it is a routine.”
Randall also urges parents to spend that brief learning time with kids, so it feels more like fun, not like homework.
With Fox on Family, I’m Lisa Brady.
