Most of the articles I write for The Dock for Learning don’t necessarily feel like crossover articles to this blog – the kind of thing both audiences would be interested in. I find myself writing in a slightly different voice, and I’m not that fond of cross-linking my work. It feels like self promotion, never my strong suit. (I have other selfish sins, believe me. Like overachieving just for how it looks, and working my kids to death. See below.)
However, I’m making an exception as I thought this post may be of interest to you. Read on.
It’s summer vacation! Yay! Let’s sleep in till noon, watch videos, and hang out on the living room couch.
Or not.
Researchers, educators, and parents are becoming increasingly concerned about what they call the “summer slide,” and they’re not talking about the local water park. Many children experience a learning regression over the summer months, slipping backward significantly in reading, math, and memorization. Worse, the slide can be cumulative, lowering a child’s performance each successive year. It’s not only a problem for first graders; studies suggest that older children lose even more than the little ones do.
Without frequent exercise and practice, any learned skill will slip. Yet we all love the concept of recess: a well-earned break from the daily grind. What is the solution?
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Read the rest of the article here.
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How do you challenge your children in the summertime?
My boys read this post and they immediately pulled out extra math papers 🙂 As for getting out in the community- we’ve just spent 2+ weeks doing respite care for a foster family with two kiddos. It was an amazing experience for our family ❤
Thanks for your great suggestions!