HEIDELBERG, Germany--Summer vacation is certainly nothing new, but those three months of blissful freedom come with a cost, one that might surprise you: your child's education.
Summer vacation is notoriously nicknamed "summer slide" by the Military Child Education Coalition, a worldwide nonprofit organization that conducts research, holds conferences and publishes
resources regarding quality educational opportunities for military children affected by family separation, deployments and transitions.
"The summer slide refers to the loss of learning that occurs during the break between school years," said Kathy Tone, a Parent to Parent cadre member. "The U.S. Department of Education reports that children lose up to 25 percent of their reading skills and even more of their math skills during that break. They also lose about two and a half months of math, usually because there are more opportunities for them to read," Tone said.
Parent to Parent's goal is to help military parents be the best possible advocates for their children's education by offering free workshops to the community aimed toward various stages of a child's life, Tone said.
"The information and ideas we offer through our workshops are a combination of proven techniques backed by research, our professional training and our personal experiences as military spouses and parents," said Tone.
With only a few weeks left of the school year, the Summer Slide workshop highlights concerns many parents have about their childrens' ability to retain information over the break. Tone explained that each fall, teachers typically spend between four and six weeks reviewing the previous school year's material instead of moving on to new subjects because the lack of retention during a long period of time is so profound. And for what children lose in reading and
math skills during the summer, they gain in weight, Tone said.
She said children suffer from the lack of structure and activity that a school day provides, and they also suffer physically. (Studies show) children gain up to twice as much weight during the summer months as during the school year because a lot of times they are sitting in front of the TV or are playing video games. Parents can combat these problems with a lot of activities,
resources, ideas and information to help prevent the gap in all important areas: reading, writing and math," said Tone.
The workshop will introduce creative methods to nudge kids into critical and creative learning outside the classroom without compromising a fun summer.
Jana Hollenbeck, a mother of a 9-year-old fourth grader, said she takes advantage of being stationed relatively close to her native Slovakia. The family spends the majority of the summer there, where their daughter spends her days outside with the neighbors' rabbits and chickens
or at the local art club, which Hollenbeck said has a great creative program for children. The Hollenbecks' daughter is so preoccupied during those months, she forgets TV exists, laughed Hollenbeck.
"The keys to success are to plan, develop routines and keep it fun. For example, on Tuesdays go to the library and on Thursdays, a field trip," suggested Tone.
For those parents not blessed with creative skills or a plethora of spare time, all is not lost.
"Sometimes it's hard to get motivated, (but fortunately) we have a ton of community options - it's like a huge field trip at your fingertips. Maybe sit down with a guide book and plan ahead, or have your children suggest things to do," Tone said. "It doesn't have to be extravagant, and it shouldn't feel like work - it should just be engaging and fun for them," she added.
Tone and her colleagues have dozens of additional suggestions, resources and ideas to keep children engaged throughout the summer and beyond. Parents who attend the workshop scheduled for 6 p.m. May 19 at Heidelberg Middle School will receive a free one-year membership
to MCEC. For information, visit www.militarychild.org. For information about Parent to Parent workshops or to schedule one, visit ptop.heidelberg@militarychild.org.
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