AUBURN — The long summer vacation might be fun and relaxing but it hurts some students when it comes to achievement.

Many children, especially those who spend too much time in front of the television or playing video games, backslide during the 10-week summer break and have to relearn in the fall.

But the skill drain can be minimized if youngsters are kept busy physically, which helps stimulate the brain, and encouraged by parents to use math and reading skills.

Thirty minutes a day on math and reading (you can sneak them in so kids don’t feel like they’re in school) would go a long way, experts say.

Walton Elementary School Principal Michelle McClellan said some students’ reading levels in the fall aren’t what they were in June.

National research shows that on average, students lose 2.6 months of learning during the summer, McClellan said.

Lewiston School Superintendent Bill Webster said test scores of grades 2-10 students from the spring to the fall showed them losing the equivalent of 38 days, on average, of instruction in math and 42 days of instruction in reading.

“I was not aware of the magnitude,” he said. “This is just one snapshot. From what I’ve read, these results are indicative of what happens everywhere.”

When Webster compared middle school test scores of those who attended three weeks of summer school to those who did not, he concluded that even a few weeks makes a big difference.

Lewiston students who attended three weeks of half-day summer school lost the equivalent of 12 days of math instruction (26 days less than the average) and gained 22 days of reading instruction.

Teachers work to bring students back to where they were, but that takes time from learning new material.

Webster is considering expanding summer school or other summer learning opportunities next year for students who aren’t getting those needs met at home.

“I would like every parent to ask how can they best provide some avenue, particularly in reading, over the summer,” Webster said. “Some families are well-structured to do that. Others need assistance.”

Students ought to have fun during the summer, and get outside, Webster said. Activities such as a trip to Reid State Park, swimming or a visit to a museum, can combine summer fun with learning, he said.

bwashuk@sunjournal.com

How to help your student fight the skill drain

Lewiston’s Kristie Clark: Turn everyday events into lessons; write letters.

Clark was the Milken Educator Award winner in 2010 when she was a Montello Elementary School teacher. “A trip to the grocery store can boost literacy when your child writes the grocery list and does math on what the items will cost versus what cash is available,” she said.

Practice math and telling time by asking, “If we leave for the store in 90 minutes, what time would we leave?”

Play letter-writing games. Leave children daily letters on their pillows, asking them about their day or something they’re interested in. Have them write back, Clark said. Or work with children to write summer journals.

Read daily. “Reading 20 minutes a day really improves the overall student achievement,” Clark said. The Lewiston and Auburn public libraries host summer reading games that offer prizes. “I would encourage parents to sign them up for that,” Clark said.

Principals Michelle McClellan and Jim Miller: Take them places, get active.

“It’s important to create something educational for your kids,” said Miller, principal of Edward Little High School. “Take them places. Show them the river. There’s all kinds of stuff you can do around nature.” A trip to the beach or lake could be enhanced by looking up the tides, loons, fish and tidal pools online. “Take them to the Museum L-A,” or explore opportunities through the Androscoggin Land Trust, Miller said.

Find healthy activities on the Internet. Several times a week connect with them, Miller said. “Take them to Taber’s and play miniature golf, summer basketball. Plan actively to engage kids in many ways,” Miller said. “If they’re engaged mentally and physically, they’re not going to lose what they learned.”

Auburn Walton Elementary School literacy specialist Beth Bryant: Read every day, play online educational games.

Parents should figure out their children’s interests and help them find books, magazines and information online, around that interest.

Creating scavenger hunts around the home and leaving clues for kids to read is stimulating, Bryant said. Board games are also stimulating, as is cooking when it  involves the child reading recipes with adults, then using math skills in the kitchen.

In the car, play ABC games by looking for signs with certain letters, or find objects that begin with each letter of the alphabet. “Older kids can look for license plates,” Bryant said. Play quality educational games online.

Bryant’s recommendations:

http://www.playkidsgames.com/

http://www.mrnussbaum.com/

http://www.arcademicskillbuilders.com/

http://cemc2.math.uwaterloo.ca/mathfrog/english/kidz/

Copy the Story Link