Dumber in the Summer

My mom is a school teacher. So is my aunt. So was my grandmother. With all of those educators around, there was exactly zero chance that my childhood summers were going to be spent lolling around watching TV and eating Cheetos.

My grandmother was fond of keeping me occupied with various workbooks in math and grammar. Mom tended to focus on keeping a book in my hands at all times.

One book that I distinctly remember was called You're Dumber in the Summer: And Over One Hundred Other Things No One Ever Told You. Basically it was a book of fun facts that Mom thought was sort of neat. Plus, even the biggest Judy Blume/Beverly Cleary fan needs a change now and then.

The catchy title has always stuck with me, and it turns out that particular fact is true: kids who don't engage in summer activities aren't as sharp by the end of the season. According to the National Summer Learning Association, various studies over the past 100 years have proven that students score lower on standardized tests at the end of summer vacation than they do on the same tests at the beginning of the summer.

There are lots of things parents can do to combat the loss of academic skills. 

• Encourage your student to read: Just 20 to 30 minutes a day is all it takes to keep student's reading comprehension skills strong.
• Encourage your student to learn a new skill: Everything from trying a new sport to learning to knit can keep your child's mind sharp during the summer months.
• Encourage your student to write: Summer can be an exciting time and a great way to get your student to write about their experiences. They could write about their adventures in letters to family members, in a journal or on a family blog. 
• Encourage your student to attend a day or overnight camp: Not only can these experiences help your student with specific areas of interest (sports, performing arts, science, etc.), camps are a great way for students to hone their social skills and gain some independence.
• Encourage your student to play: Structure is certainly important to keep kids' minds active, but playtime can be just as vital.

Hopefully my mom wasn't trying to tell me something with You're Dumber in the Summer, but the memory of that book certainly pushes me to help my students stay engaged throughout the summer and all year long.

For more info on how the Children's Theatre of Western Springs can help keep your child active during the summer, visit our website at www.theatreofwesternsprings.com or give us a call at 708-246-4043.