Monfredo: Mix Up Summer Learning With Play Time

Saturday, July 20, 2019

John Monfredo, GoLocalWorcester MINDSETTER

John Monfredo

I recently had conversations with many retired educators on the topic of loss of learning during the summer time. Many remember students returning to school in early September and having lost some of the skills learned in the previous year. Throughout the summer months, while not in school, some students are known to regress in their learning and language development while. This is referred to as the summer slide when a student slides backward academically over the summer. The “Summer Slide” creates a challenge for teachers, students and parents.

Throughout the years, I have written many columns on this topic because it’s a factor in learning loss. As a reminder… research clearly states that students who engage in learning activities over the summer start school in the fall ready to learn. Here are more facts for you to consider:

Research spanning 100 years shows that students typically score lower on standardized tests at the end of summer vacation than they do on the same tests at the beginning of the summer (White, 1906; Entwisle & Alexander 1992; Cooper, 1996; Downey et al. 2004).

All students experience learning losses when they do not engage in educational activities during the summer.
On average, students lose approximately 2.6 months of grade level equivalency in mathematical computation skills during the summer months.
Low-income children and youth experience greater summer learning losses than their higher-income peers.
Students may not have the same structured meal schedule or access to nutritious meals during the summer.
Studies show that out-of-school time is a dangerous time for unsupervised children and youth.

Again, this being early summer … Here are my TOP TEN tips to help beat the summer slide but start now and devise a plan. Start by telling your child that reading and learning activities will be an important part of their summer. Assure them that they’ll still have lots of time for play.

1. Visit your local library! Help your child find the “right fit” book. Right fit books are of high interest to your child and not beyond their reading level. You can use the five-finger test to determine if the book is appropriate. Open the book to a page with many words. Have your child begin reading the text. Hold up a finger for each word they don’t know. If you have 4 or 5 fingers up, the text may be too difficult for your child to read independently. Feel free to still check out the book, it just may be a book you read together. Also, if you are in need of books for the home contact me … [email protected].

2. Make sure your child reads at least 20 minutes a day… reading doesn’t take a vacation. According to research, a child who reads only 1 minute a day outside of school will learn 8,000 words by the end of sixth grade, where a student who reads 20 minutes a day outside of school will learn 1.8 million words. That’s huge! If reading isn’t one of your child’s top priorities, you may need to set up a reward program.

3. Set a good example. When your child sees you reading and enjoying a book or a newspaper article, you are sending a message that reading is important and valuable.

4. Read to your child, they will hear the rhythm of language. Be sure to read with expression. Changing your voice for different characters and increasing your volume during exciting parts are just a few ways to help keep children engaged.

5. Read for different purposes. Reading directions for a recipe or directions for assembling a toy aloud are fun ways to incorporate reading into everyday activities.

6. Transform everyday activities into learning opportunities. Children can count change, read directions for a trip, write a shopping list, or calculate a recipe’s measurements.

7. Initiate a writing project. Have your child keep a summer journal, write letters to family members or friends, or craft a play to perform with siblings or neighbors. Start a family cookbook with your favorite recipes, instructions and shopping list.

8. Strategize screen time. Educational computer games or apps can engage students’ minds, but make sure your child is spending enough time away from the screen.

9. Sneak learning into family trips. If your family is able to take a vacation during the summer, include stops at zoos, children’s museums, or historic sites. Have your child help you plot out the journey using maps and keep a journal along the way. Older children can tally up miles, keep track of expenses, or compute gas mileage

And finally…

10. Don’t forget Math. Try to motivate your child to complete 5 to 10 math problems (from a grade-appropriate workbook) a few times a week, ask him/her mental math problems as one drives in the car and play math problem games ( or card games) as the situation arises. Hopefully, the work will be fun (keep it low-level and simple), and the child will do it for enjoyment.

Let’s also remember that summer is for relaxing, taking some time off, and just being a child, too. What we need to do is to balance fun with learning! Remember there are many local options available … public schools, Worcester Public Library, Social agencies such as the YMCA, YWCA, Boys and Girl Scouts, and a host of other groups that are engaged in summer learning activities. Also, check out the number of websites that engage in learning. Good luck and make it a fun-filled learning summer.