The Summer Slide

Can you believe summer is almost done? School will be here sooner than we know it because once again the summer has gone way too fast!  As we prepare our little ones to head back to the classroom in September, have you found that certain skills that were mastered by your children in June have begun to deteriorate? In other words, has the “summer slide” has found its way into your house?

The “summer slide” is described as the loss in learning that occurs when students are not engaged in scholastic, academically enriching activities for a prolonged period.  By the end of summer vacation, the average student loses approximately a month’s worth of learning acquired from the previous year.  And it doesn’t end there, as studies have shown the impact is cumulative. A 2007 Johns Hopkins University study found that by ninth grade, about two-thirds of the achievement gap in reading, for example, can be attributed to summer learning loss that took place in the first five years of schooling.

Nationally, there are approaches being discussed to prevent learning loss over the summer months.  However, as parents and caregivers what can we do here and now to help our children?  Today The Philadelphia Nanny Network wanted to share some ideas to help spark some creativity as we get ready for Back to School. Here are just a few ideas to get the creative juices flowing and help make summer fun also equal summer learning.  There are still precious few summer days left, here are some ideas that both parents and nannies can work on together to make the most of them:

1.       Build a family game – game building is a very creative approach to science and math.  This is a great way to develop problem-solving skills while allowing children to be innovative.  Nannies can help the children work on a plan for the game, research and get supplies.  The children and nanny can build the game together.  After nanny hours, parents and children can play the game together, and the children get to “teach” the parents how to play.

2.       Find a reading program at the local library or bookstore that can fit into the children and nanny’s daily schedule.  Visit http://www.readwritethink.org/parent-afterschool-resources/ for additional resources on summer reading that can be carried into the new school year.  Parents can ask the child about the “rose” (best) and “thorn” (worst) part of the trip and read a library book before bed.

3.       Do a project together as a family.  Summer is the perfect time to complete DIY projects around the house.  Assign each family member an age appropriate job to research and complete.  Nannies can help the children plan budgets (math), plan out measurements (math and science), colors (problem solving) and so much more.  Projects can be incorporated into a fun family project to be enjoyed throughout the year.  With parents, the children can complete the project.  Each new day, the children can give a status update to the nanny and show off the work that was done.

It takes a village, and these are just a few ways that parents and nannies can work together so that children are ready to hit the books when school starts.

Is your child ready for the upcoming school year?  If so, what did your family network do to keep the “summer slide” out of your home and in the back yard where it belongs?

How Ohio is Fighting Cyber-Bullying

Ohio House Bill 116 was made into law Thursday, February 2, 2012.

The law requires every school in Ohio to put a cyber-bullying policy into place. Goals include teaching students not to engage in cyber-bullying, training teachers on how to handle cyber-bullying and holding parents more accountable for their children’s online actions. Besides the obvious goal that is prevention of cyber-bullying, the law aims to raise awareness of an increasingly wide-spread and dangerous problem threatening today’s youth.

What will come as a result of this law? Will more and more states begin to walk in Ohio’s footsteps? Will any resulting laws be similar or are there inherent flaws in Ohio’s law that must be ironed out? Quite possibly the most interesting part of this law is the responsibility falling into the hands of the parents. This raises many questions. If a child is old enough to use the internet, aren’t they old enough to be held accountable for their own actions and speech? In the same vein, when are children old enough to begin using the internet and how closely should they be monitored? Though bullying is clearly a problem, does this not slightly impede of freedom of speech? Some may think that laws such as this are unnecessary and default to the popular mentality that “kids will be kids”. Still yet, aren’t preventative measures better than any alternative?

Celebrate American Education Week!

November 14-19, 2011 marks the 90^th anniversary celebration of American Education Week. According to the National Education Association, American Education Week has as its purpose to honor students’ hard work, recognize the professionalism and dedication of teachers, support staff and other educators, thank parents and community members who help students succeed and rededication of the community at large to quality public education for every student. The NEA has even suggested a variety of ways for parents and community members to get involved: hold a fundraiser for a classroom project; take the priority school pledge; nominate a NEA Classroom Superhero; tell Congress to support the Fix America’s Schools Today Act and tell Congress to support the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. For more information on each of these ideas, visit http://www.nea.org/grants/19823.htm.

Additionally, why not take this opportunity to recognize and bolster the education that children are receiving in their homes, all across America. Parents, nannies, friends, relatives, babysitters, tutors and homework helpers work countless hours to provide loving and educational environments where kids can grow intellectually—and that’s something that should be celebrated. So why not take this as an opportunity to do more. Provide additional opportunities for your kids to learn in everyday activities; remember to prepare healthy meals and make sure they get plenty of sleep to keep them mentally alert; foster their curiosity and their creativity; study; read; explore.