The importance of summer learning

We all know the value of good schooling for our children. However, the value of summer learning is often overlooked. Youth who do not participate in educational activities during summer experience learning losses, according to the National Summer Learning Association. For youth that never engage in summer learning activities, the learning loss accumulates each year to create a large achievement gap between these students and their peers. Families can play an important role in their child’s education by including learning activities into their summer schedule. Encourage your child to read a story or newspaper article, then have a discussion about it. Or have her compute the price difference between two items at the store. Activities such as these can help your child maintain skills learned from the school year through the summer. Families can also improve their student’s academic achievement by enrolling them into organized summer programs. Such programs foster positive social interactions as well as provide exposure to opportunities students might not have during the school year. READ MORE