Staying Sharp All Summer - Hot Topics

STAYING SHARP ALL SUMMER
by R.N.Whitehead Ph.D.

Every year the cycle gets repeated. After a summer spent chasing butterflies, swimming, working or just plain lazing about, Labour Day rolls around and hundreds of thousands of students file back into their schools - ready for a new year. Or are they?

A teacher friend of mine tells me that, "We have to allow at least a month for everyone to get settled and back in a learning mood." That puts us into October and, according to other teachers, many students are still not refocused and ready to learn by then. However, according to the same source, "by mid October or early November, most kids are back to speed."

According to my calculations, this would mean that from July 1, through at least October 15, and probably November 10, many students are not focused or at their best. "For at least three and one half months, learning can be haphazard to say the least," says Robert Primrose a Grade 10 teacher.

In fact, it may even be worse than that. Think about your child's learning experiences in June each year. Tests, exams, field trips and other events consume most of that month's schedule adding another month to the let-down period.

Considering that the average school year includes only 195 days of instruction and that almost half of those days are spent in less than ideal conditions, we soon see why many schools struggle to meet the educational expectations of parents and society.

What can we do to help? Easy. Help your kids stay sharp over the summer holiday and there will be no let-down, no big gap in the fall. Kids who are focused and ready in September, will learn, integrate and understand new material right away. This will allow them to make the most of each school day instead of only half of them.

There are many ways to help kids remain on top of their school skills. Make sure that your children read during the summer. Even if they have a busy social life and a part or full time job, make sure that they take time each day to read. Set up brief study periods at least every other day. Times when your child can review the worst or hardest subjects, read ahead into next year's material and organize for next year.

However, possibly the best way to help students stay sharp is through Supplemental Education programs. Good summer programs, such as those at Oxford Learning Centres, keep those thinking, reading, writing, math and study skills sharp and ready for September.

"It's not so much the memorized material that students forget over the summer," says Dr. Peter Gamlin of Oxford Learning Centres. "It's learning How to Learn that gets forgotten each summer. That's because it is seldom taught independent of school subjects. Students who develop good learning and thinking skills will be ready for success in September. Attending a study session over the summer at Oxford is the best way I know of overcoming the summer let-down."

Article provided by: OXFORD LEARNING CENTRES

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