Preventing Summer Learning Loss...

It's that time of year again!!  The end of another school year, the excitement of summer and, most importantly to students- FREEDOM!!  Of course, as educators and parents, we want our children to experience all the fun that summer brings, but it's also important that we continue to expose them to educational experiences in order to prevent summer learning loss.  Studies show that students can lose two to three months of learning if they aren't exposed to any academic activities during summer vacation.   I came across a really interesting article on Edutopia.org entitled "Seven Ways to Prevent Summer Learning Loss" by Barbara Dianis.  In the article, Ms. Dianis offers seven really great ideas for incorporating quick academic review activities into our children's summer days.  These ideas include setting aside 15-30 minutes dedicated to reading, completing two or three math problems a day, or encouraging children to develop and write short stories throughout the summer.  These are great strategies to use with either young children or teens.  I plan on implementing a few with my youngest son, who will be a high school senior next fall and hates to read anything that isn't video game related, lol.  I hope you all will check out the article and find it as helpful as I have!!