With summer here and schools about to be out, many parents might be worried about brain drain, and how to deal with it. But, what is summer brain drain in the first place, and why does it happen? There are plenty of questions you might be wondering, and we want to help you understand this phenomenon and get you through summer with ease.
It’s important to remember that summer is a magical time, and everything should make the most of it, but not at the expense of forgetting about all the hard work that was done over the school year!
What Is Summer Brain Drain?
So, what is summer brain drain? In short, this refers to a loss of academic skills or knowledge that students often go through over the summer holidays due to nothing they have learned at school being reinforced. The most common areas to suffer include maths and literacy, which can result in lower performance when school starts again.
Close to half of all students experience summer brain drain, with up to 20% of the year’s learning being lost over the weeks. Luckily, though, there are several things that you can do to prevent this from happening, but it takes work and lots of active learning.
Is It Something to Be Worried About?
Summer brain drain can result in your child losing skills they learned in school, which can result in them being behind when the new school year starts. These gaps in their knowledge and regression in particular areas can make them feel unnecessarily stressed when they go back to school, which can also hinder performance—so avoiding it is the best thing you can do.
Why Does Learning Loss Happen During School Breaks?
It should come as no surprise that most children will experience summer brain drain over the holidays. With all kinds of fun and new activities at their disposal, trips to parks and other countries, and more, many children won’t have the time or willpower to engage their brains in a way that allows them to retain what they have learned over the course of the school year.
However, this doesn’t mean that it’s something that we should simply accept. While we should all get the chance to enjoy summer and make the most of the holidays, who says actively learning and engaging your brain can’t be fun?
Who Is Most Affected by Summer Brain Drain?
Students who do not keep their minds active during school breaks are more likely to experience summer brain drain. Actively learning and engaging our brains outside of school and during holidays ensures that we don’t lose all the hard work we’ve put into growing and learning—but you can do this through all kinds of activities.
When you ask yourself, ‘what is summer brain drain’, you probably think that it will only impact children who are lying around doing nothing all day, but this is not true. In fact, it can affect any kids who are not putting in the effort to actively learn.
What Are the Signs Your Child May Be Experiencing It?
Unfortunately, there are little to no signs of real time summer brain drain. It is typically only something that rears its head when it’s time to get back to school, and kids feel like they are behind or can no longer recall what they learned in the previous year. With that being said, you might look for signs of disinterest in learning anything throughout the summer as a sign of summer brain drain—but it’s also important to take the age of your kids into consideration, as younger children will usually be more willing to keep learning over the course of summer.
Some signs of summer brain drain might include:
- Unwillingness to learn
- Slower thinking/problem-solving skills
- Regression in academic skills (e.g. maths and reading)
What Are Some Top Brain-Friendly Summer Activities for Kids and Teens?
With so many weeks free, and the sun hopefully providing plenty of warmth and light for activities, why not make the most of this beautiful time of year and engage in some brain-friendly summer activities with your kids and teens? From enjoying a summer reading programme and implementing maths from everyday life into your day, to exploring the garden or doing a DIY science project, there are lots of opportunities to prevent summer brain drain—and your kids are going to love getting involved.
Start a Fun, Summer Reading Programme
Take the age and reading abilities of your kids into account, and come up with a reading programme for the summer that they will love by selecting appropriate books that are going to engage their brains and also keep them entertained. Set up private reading time for them to practice their skills and get through a few looks over the break, and even have a daily or weekly session together where you read a more challenging story out loud to them.
Maths Exists in the Real World — Let Your Kids Practice!
Everything costs money, and that means you can come up with everyday maths questions to have your kids solve wherever you go! Going shopping? Take them with, and give them a sum to determine if deals are worth it, which items offer the best prices, and more — you will be surprised by how easy it can be to come up with everyday equations to keep their brains going.
Why Not Learn or Build on a Language?
Learning a language is incredibly beneficial, and not only for our brains. Make the most of the time away from school to either build on a language they are learning, or start learning a new language altogether to fight off the dreaded summer brain drain.
The Garden is Ripe for Exploring and Learning
Gardens are full of plants and little creatures, giving the kids not only the chance to get out here and get physical, but to learn about nature in all its many forms. See how many creatures they can spot, teach them about gardening, or tell them all about plants and flowers.
Go on Trips to Educational Locations That Aren’t a Classroom
Enjoy a trip away from home and give your kids the chance to learn on the go. Whether you visit a museum, gardens, galleries, or anywhere else, there is an opportunity to learn about nature, art, history, and more—and it will be an unforgettable memory, too! Ask questions and get the kids to answer, and you might be amazed by how much they know and learn.
DIY a Cool Science Project
You can easily DIY a science project or two in the safety and comfort of your own home, so why not find projects that your kids will love, and do them together? It’s a bonding experience as well as the perfect opportunity for learning. Find experiments suitable for your children’s ages, and you might be amazed by what’s possible.
How The Brain Workshop Supports Summer Cognitive Development
Now that you know the answer to ‘what is summer brain drain, you understand why it is something that all parents should strive to avoid over the course of the summer holidays. To do this, there are all kinds of tactics and activities that you can employ without sacrificing fun and freedom—so make sure you make the most of the time!
Keep your child’s brain sharp this summer with The Brain Workshop’s fun, engaging brain-training programmes. Enquire today to learn more.
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