Many studies show that students who don’t exercise their brains during the summer can lose up to two months worth of valuable, hard-won learning. This is especially true for students who struggle with ADHD and/or coexisting learning disabilities. (Don’t believe me? Ask any teacher!) It is crucial that these students engage in educational activities year round to help them retain what they’ve worked so hard to achieve. But, even though school has stopped doesn’t mean learning has to stop also! Here are some ideas to help keep your child learning through the summer (adapted from ADDitude Magazine):
- Read Everyday – whether it’s a popular fictional book, a National Geographic for Kids or Sports Illustrated for Kids, all reading is good. Also be sure to discuss with your child what they have read to check for comprehension. Some local libraries have summer book challenges.
- Stress-free Writing Projects – Make these fun (don’t worry too much about spelling!). Write out a script for a video project (‘What I did on my Summer Vacation); send emails to friends and family, or start a video blog.
- Review Math Skills with Games – Board games like Monopoly, Mastermind, and Qwirkle require math skills. There are also online interactive math games like FunBrain, Cool Math 4 Kids and more that make math fun.
- Practice Public Speaking – Make some how-to videos or presentations such as a cooking recipe, building a go cart, a magic trick or acting out a part of a book or play.
- Take Learning Outside – Making videos and reading can all be done outside. Swim some, read some at pool side!
- Do Neurofeedback – Give your child’s brain a real workout! Neurofeedback can help improve focus and decrease hyperactivity and anxiety. Click here to see how Neurofeedback can help with ADHD.
