With nearly three months off each summer, it’s easy for kids to fall behind academically—especially in math and ELA. Studies have shown that students score lower on standardized tests at the end of the summer than they do at the beginning. This troubling pattern of regression has been deemed the summer slide, and it affects millions of children across the United States. Enrolling your student in summer classes at a learning center like New York City’s FasTrackKids can help them continue learning while having fun in the summer months.
In the meantime, what can you do to help your child retain what they 've learned throughout the summer? The experts behind FasTrackKids’ summer enrichment programs have a few tips for parents:
• Cook With Your Kid: If you let your child help you cook, they will reap many benefits. Ask them to read the menu aloud and measure the ingredients that the recipe calls for; this
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Card games are a sneaky way to encourage your kids to use math and develop their critical thinking skills. Trade out some family movie nights and make card game nights a new tradition. When you introduce a little friendly competition, your child will want to put their math skills to use.
• Read Everything & Anything: Whether it’s something small, like the newspaper’s comics, or more challenging, like an age-appropriate online article, getting your child to read throughout the day should be a high priority. The more your student practices reading in everyday life, the sooner their reading skills will improve.
• Have Fun With Plants: Have your child choose a few seeds to plant and then pot them together at home. Give your student the task of caring for and measuring the plants as they grow from seeds to sprouts and beyond. This hands-on experience allows your student to get their hands dirty while teaching them about science, responsibility, and following