Preventing Summer Brain Drain: Some Tips

After the crazy year we’ve had many parents are wondering how to prevent summer brain drain which is nothing new in the education world.  There are some easy ways to approach this trend in learning:

• Read to your child and have your child read to you.  This is hands down a really easy and efficient way to make sure your child isn’t losing the decoding skills he or she has already attained.  Block out a little time for this each day and you will be amazed at the results!
• Engage your child with educational apps and technology.  There are so many educational apps and websites out there that are great for supplemental learning.  Although screen time often gets a bad rap, when supervised by an adult certain apps and websites can be great supplemental education.  Some of my favorites are Endless Reader, Prodigy, Quizziz, Khan Academy and Blooket to name a few.
• Go on educational, hands on outings with your kid.  They will love the time spent with you and learn while doing.  Museums, zoos and farms are all fantastic learning opportunities.
• If you go on a vacation have your child write a postcard.  This will help with handwriting and is not a huge amount of writing so that the child is overwhelmed or sees it as a chore.
• Use everyday chores and tasks such as baking and gardening as educational experiences.  Both can teach basic math skills and a love of the task at hand.
• Take a break!  After the year we’ve had everyone needs the chance to relax and regroup.  This will be a gift you can give yourself and your child.