Summer Camps to keep students on track

So, the final bell of the school year has rung; even though the classroom is closed for the season, it doesn’t mean that a child’s potential to learn has stopped. In fact, summer is a critical time for learning. Without some measure of formal education, kids can experience a significant drop in their learning momentum that can affect how they perform next year.

Research into the study of summer learning shows some pretty surprising findings. Here are The Facts that you need to know—

• All students experience SUMMER LEARNING LOSSES when they do not engage in educational activities in the summer.
• On average, students lose approximately 2.6 months of grade-level equivalency in mathematical computational skills during the summer months.
• 56% of students want to be involved in a summer program that “helps kids keep up with summer schoolwork or prepare for the next grade.”
• Research shows that teachers typically spend between four-six weeks re-teaching material that students have forgotten over the summer.
• Since 1996, researchers have studied the effect of summer break on student learning. A common finding across these studies is that students generally score lower on standardized tests at the end of summer than they do on the same tests at the beginning of the summer.
• Research demonstrates that all students experience significant learning losses in procedural and factual knowledge during the summer months.

How the summer break can impact your child’s learning: some numbers:

• 2.6—the numbers of months that it can take to get back into the swing of learning in the fall
• 60—the number of days that children spend not learning over the summer
• 6—the number of weeks that teachers have to spend reviewing material from last year

And two very important numbers to consider when planning your children’s summer schedule:

• 2-3—the number of hours per week of supplemental education needed to prevent summer education losses and keep your child on track for education success.

With these very important numbers in mind, doesn’t it make sense to include learning in your child’s summer? Summer camps at Oxford Learning make it easy. Find a location near you and beat summer learning losses for good.

Sand in your bathing suit, in your hair, in your sleeping bag…and in your keyboard?

Camping, to this generation’s children, is not what it used to be. Camping has changed so much over the years that wireless connection is now listed as a basic service at many campgrounds across North America. Electrical hook up, firewood, bathroom facilities, and now, wi-fi.

Call me old-fashioned, but I thought that the purpose of camping was to get away from it all—to reconnect with nature, and to be unavailable; disconnected, and to get back to nature.

The evolution (or de-evolution as the case may be) of summertime childhood activity is a popular subject these days. Kids spend more time than ever inside watching TV, playing video games, surfing the net. There are more than a few articles circulating in the media about what this means to traditional childhood, not to mention what all the plugged-in indoor time means to learning habits and social interaction.

Childhood is an ever-evolving landscape, but unfortunately, the new technologies and changing lifestyles are eroding traditional summer pastimes such as playing hide and seek, stargazing, bike riding, building tree houses, hopscotch…and camping.

The campsite is a place to get back to nature and re-discover how to long hours doing nothing more than using the imagination to keep amused. It’s a place to disconnect, to unplug, and to learn the simple pleasures that a childhood summer can bring.

Link: The Globe and Mail

What are your plans to make this summer an educational one? Summer school? Day camps? Lazy days at the beach? Whatever your plans, these tips make your summer both educational and fun!

• Read, read, read! Read a book, a magazine, or a comic book. Talk about what you have just read. Make connections, and look up unknown words. Make a chart to track the plot—the key is to think actively about the reading.
• Keep a journal or a scrapbook. Record the day’s activities, or start a short story and add a bit to it everyday.
• Play games. Games like Soduko, Crossword puzzles, or word games like Boggle, Scrabble, and Upwords are great to challenge the mind and keep it sharp over the summer.
• Play nature games. Gather materials from around you: a rock, a shell, a flower, an acorn, a penny, etc. Then arrange all the items and study them. Next, cover the items with a towel and ask players to remember as many items as they can. The one who remembers the most wins! Take turns gathering items.
• Write and perform a backyard play. Tape it, and then watch it together.
• Check out the great summer programs at your local Oxford Learning.

What are your summer learning plans? Let us know by leaving a comment!

Your child’s arms will have fun this summer: fishing, flying kites, holding a baseball bat, and tossing beach balls.

So will his legs: running through grass, walking on sand, kicking a soccer ball, or swimming in the pool.

But what about his brain? How will your child’s brain stay active this summer? And why is this even important?

Keeping brains active over the summer is important because research proves that kids can lose their learning momentum during time-off from school. This means that it takes more time to get back up to speed when school starts. Kids have to spend more time playing the catch-up game then they do actually paying attention to the lesson. In fact, education experts estimate that brains that just “veg-out” over the summer lose an average of 40 per cent of their learning momentum, and it can take up to two months to get back on track.

Without some measure of academic exercise during the summer, brains get lazy. They forget how to learn. That’s why it’s so important to enroll your child’s brain in a summer camp so that it can get the exercise that it so badly needs. Check out the following ideas on keeping minds as active bodies during the summer.

Read, already

Reading a minimum of 30 minutes a day not only helps brains stay alert, it helps develops vocabulary. Ask questions about what your child is reading – this helps minds think actively and fosters a greater understanding of what they’ve read.

Scrapbook

Keep a scrapbook of things you did over the summer: places you’ve visited, books you’ve read, and movies you’ve watched. Have your child draw pictures, add photos, collect postcards, or add souvenirs. This is a good way to help your child remember her vacation for her inevitable “What I Did This Summer Essay.”

Take a hike

Visit a local environmentally-protected area and discuss why the environment is important. Help your child discover evidence of wildlife, point out varieties of trees and other plants, discuss the significance of wetlands.

Visit the library together and pick out a book on animal footprints, tree varieties, and local plant life.

Research

Pick a destination and have your child research how to get there. Or have your child research information for a new family purchase. Let him make a presentation of what they have discovered.

Puzzles

Solving the logistics of a puzzle is a great way to keep brains sharp. Alternatively, do timed crosswords. Set the timer, and see who can get the most words in the allotted time. Have your child verbalize her problem-solving techniques – this creates active thinking, and is a great method to keep brains sharp.

Follow these tips this summer to make sure that your child goes back to school with happy arms, legs AND brain.

Oxford Learning Brain Camps:

Many Oxford Learning locations offer Summer Brain Camps that keep kid’s brains active over the summer. The programs are fun AND academic. For a brain that doesn’t go flabby this summer, contact an Oxford Learning near you.

The heat of July and August may seem a long ways away in the middle of March, but it’s really not too early to begin planning your child’s summer vacation.

For many kids, summer means going to camp. Whether your child attends a day camp or an overnight camp, the experience can be valuable and memorable. With many options to choose from, picking a summer camp can be tough. The tips below will help you narrow your search and determine a camp your kids will rave about until next summer.

Start now

Camps can fill up fast, so it’s best to begin your search well before the summer is on the horizon.

Determine your child’s needs.

Do your kids love sports? Art? Computers? Is this camp activity something they enjoy? Or something you want them to develop further? Are they ready for overnight camp or just a local day camp? Do your children require any special medical, behavioural or educational attention? Create a list of camp “must haves” and “nice to haves” to help narrow your choices.

Set a budget.

Camps can be very expensive. Examine your bank account, decide on your financial limit and stick to it. Investigate camps run by non-profit organizations if you’re worried that more costly private options will break the bank.

Ask around.

Talk to relatives, neighbours and friends about camps their children attended. Though your kids’ interests may be different, referrals from other parents can give you a good idea of a camp’s atmosphere and help you weed out unsuitable options.

Look for a fit.

Does the philosophy and style of the camp match your own? Do you believe it offers what your children need? Are the activities offered ones your kids are attracted to? Talk in detail with the camp director to get an understanding of how the camp works.

Create a shortlist.

After you’ve done the investigative work, pare down your options to three or four. Arrange for you and your child to meet the camp director. If this isn’t an option, set up a time for an in-depth telephone interview.

Be prepared.

Create a list of questions that will help you and your child understand the camp, its atmosphere and whether it meets your child’s unique needs and interests. Clear winners should start to emerge and hopefully, you’ll choose a summer camp your kids will enjoy!

Ask about our Summer Brain Camps.

Many Oxford Learning location offer Summer Brain Camps that let kids explore, discover, create and learn. Who knew kids could have so much fun improving their math, reading, writing, study and homework skills or just learning how to learn?

For better grades this fall, make sure you keep their minds active at Oxford Learning’s Summer Brain Camp. Contact us today for complete details!