Happy 4th of July!
JUL 2015
INSIDE
CALENDAR • EARTH TALK • RESCUE SPOTLIGHT NEARBY NATURE • DAD’S EYE VIEW • FAMILY MOVIE TIME SUMMER 2015
Say
Goodbye to Summer Slide H
ave you ever hidden vegetables in your child’s favorite food just to get them to consume something green? A similar strategic tactic can be used when it comes to staying connected to learning over the summer. By incorporating educational activities into your family's summertime fun, your students can get their daily dose of learning—and they might not even know it! Parents and kids look forward to summer break for vacation, but it is also important to plan for activities to ke e p l e ar n i n g alive. Did you know that s t u d e nt s w h o are not engaged in educational activities during break may experience the “s u m m e r s l i d e " — sliding backward academically? Research from the National Summer Learning Association shows students typically score
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lower on standardized tests at the end of the summer than on the same tests at the beginning of the summer. As a parent, you can help halt the summer “brain drain” by incorporating reading, math, and other school subjects into family activities to help keep kids engaged in learning, allowing them to hold onto previously learned knowledge and be better prepared for the new
school year. The good news is, when it comes to summer learning, a little goes a f i n d
u s
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a t
long way. Investing even 30 minutes each day in educational activities will give your child a big advantage come September. To help prevent summer learning loss here a few suggestions for family-friendly activities: VACATIONS OFFER LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES Traveling to a new destination offers an opportunity for students to explore the history, agriculture, government and culture of a vacation spot. Have your child research the places y ou ' l l v i s it , read maps and prepare a list of historic sites, local restaurants and other attractions to visit. Enhance math skills on a car trip by working out the mileage between locations and estimating how long the trip will take.
w w w . o r e g o n f a m i l y . c o m
by Courtney Whittington
TAKE A LEARNING “STAY-CATION" Be a tourist in your own town. Check with the local Chamber of Commerce for guidebooks about your town, then visit a local park or historic site and ask your child to research the location ahead of time. A trip to a local museum or zoo can become a mini-field trip. When you get home, encourage your student to write about their day. SERVICE-BASED LEARNING Summer time is a good time for local service activities to help your child learn the importance of making a difference in their community. Whether it's cleaning up a nearby park or assisting at a local animal shelter, you can show your child the benefits of volunteering for a charitable organization. Even encouraging your child to assist on a smaller scale— by mowing the lawn or washing the car for a neighbor— makes them feel invested in their local community. EXERCISE THE BODY AS WELL AS THE BRAIN Studies show physical activity CONTINUED ON PAGE 3… PAGE 1