What's Your Problem?

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) - Summer is time for fun in the sun, but parents, here's a lesson for you.

Your kids can lose up to 40 percent of what they learned last school year during these lazy, hazy weeks of vacation.

There's still some time to stem the summer brain drain.
One Chesapeake schoolteacher has some great ideas you can use right now, even while you're on the road.  She has the solution in this edition of "What's Your Problem?"

Here are other tips from Debby Guardino:

Free - Safe Web Sites for Kids
www.starfall.com
www.tumblebooks.com
www.scholastic.com
www.nationalgeographic.com
http://kidsblogs.nationalgeographic.com/littlekids/
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/
http://tutoring.sylvanlearning.com/pdfs/ActivityBook.pdf

Sylvan offers downloadable books - go to its website to register for grade and subject specific books

You can use:

Alphabets cereal
Picnic basket
Popcorn words
Measuring for cooking / measuring/recognizing equivalents / reading
Shoe bag for car - hands-on materials for children
Travel beach ball / pre-reading questions / comprehension
Journals/ with stuffed animal / photo of child on the front

Under $20 academic games / resources
Learning Resources - Web on Wednesday Sales
Lakeshore Learning
Really Good Stuff - Sales every Friday
TAPS

Free educational places to take children
Chrysler Museum / Friday Children’s Free movie and museum activity
Chesapeake Arboretum
Chesapeake Planetarium
State Parks Walking Trails
Farmers market

A child's learning skills are like muscles. The more they use them, the stronger they will be. If you use those muscles in a "fun" way, it will encourage a stronger love of learning for your children.

Read, read and read! Children should read everyday during summer. Take them to your local library so that they have access to a variety of books, DVDs, CDs and magazines.

Take educational trips like visits to the zoo, museum, planetarium, concerts, national parks or botanical garden.  Practice math daily. Kids lose more math skills than any other skill over the summer. Take your kids to the grocery store with you and ask them to help you add up each item and keep track of the total. You may also have them count your change. Cooking is a great way to practice measurement with standard and non standard units.

Go out and play. Physical activities have positive effects on academic achievement. Limit the time your children spend in front of the TV, game or computer. Try to keep their minds busy by finding activities that encourage creative thinking.