Ways to Help Kids Retain Knowledge Over the Summer
Math and Summer Learning for Kids
More than 100 years of research show that kids do more poorly on standardized tests given in the fall than on those same tests before summer vacation, and on average, kids lose two months of math skills over the summer. Prevent summer slide by doing some of these ideas both offline and online.
Are math workbooks your style? I have a list of best math workbooks for summer supplementation. Maybe math apps work better for your kids? Here are popular ones. More ideas to keep your kids learning this summer include …
Tech Tools
1. KlabLab – On KlabLab’s website, kids can listen to songs and watch music videos that cover topics like cellular structure and the order of operations. This isn’t cheesy educational music—it’s stuff you would hear the radio. Kids also download free templates to create and upload their own educational songs.
2. Starfall – Starfall takes a systematic phonics approach and uses games and interactive multimedia to teach kids to read.
3. Ten Marks and IXL – From counting to algebra, IXL makes math practice fun with interactive games and practice questions.
4. Scratch – Scratch is a programming language created by the MIT Media Lab that makes it easy for kids to create interactive stories, animations, games, music and art, and share Fun, educational animated videos on Brain Pop’s website take kids through subjects
Unplugged Learning
1. Library summer reading programs – Stop by Newton Free Library to ask about summer reading programs, which reward kids for reading throughout the summer. Barnes & Noble and Half-Price Books also run summer reading programs.
2. Free museum days – Museums across the country have days when kids and families can visit for free. You can find a list of free days in and around Boston here.
3. Card or board games – Use a deck of cards to play “War” but with 2 cards instead of 1 that you add, subtract or multiply, learn Chess with an online tool like ChessKids Academy to stretch logic skills, or play Scrabble to practice spelling and vocabulary.
4. Summer journal – Encourage kids to write throughout the summer by keeping a journal. Don’t forget to illustrate it with drawings and photos of fun summer activities.
