Parents warned of summer 'brain drain'

Published on Wednesday 5 August 2009 22:03

PARENTS have been urged to keep their children mentally active over the summer to maintain their standard of learning.

Ahead of the school holidays, there are warnings of a "brain drain" phenomenon as children put down their books to enjoy their leisure time.

It follows US research which has found that children can lose an average of two months learning over the period unless they are mentally stimulated.

Once they return to school, the research added, children run the risk over taking more than a month to get back up to speed with their lessons.

Jenny Low, sales executive at an online retailer specialising in "brain training" products, stressed the importance of parents keeping the minds of their children active for the sake of their education.

She said: "As adults we find it hard to get back into work after a two-week holiday, so it stands to reason that the six-week school holiday will have an even greater effect on our children.

"This latest research from America highlights the real impact the summer brain drain has on children's education. There are lots of things parents can do to help their kids keep mentally active during the summer."

Her warning comes in response to research published by Johns Hopkins University's National Centre for Summer Learning.

It found that most children fall behind by around two months' worth of coursework in maths skills learned during the previous year over summer months. Children from low- income families, meanwhile, also find their reading skills suffer, though youngsters from a middle-class background improve in the same subject.

The amount of independent reading a child does outside of school relates to their growth in vocabulary, verbal fluency, reading comprehension and general knowledge.

The centre claims that a child's activities during school holidays can make the difference between whether he or she goes on to further education.

Other research has pointed to the "faucet theory", which suggests that come the summer holidays, academic resources for poorer children become scarce, whereas middle-class and better-off parents have resources on tap to help their children learn while being entertained.

Ms Low, from CannyMinds. com, added: "Reading is clearly one of the most beneficial things kids can do but they're not always that enthusiastic about it.

"To help them get into reading you could try setting up an incentive scheme which rewards time spent reading with little treats and they'll soon start enjoying reading on their own."

Dominic O'Brien, an eight-time world memory champion, said: "Just as you need to continually exercise your body to stay fit and healthy you also need to exercise your brain and memory to remain mentally agile. This is especially important when we are children."

Mensa puzzle editor Philip Carter said: "Keeping your brain active as a young person doesn't have to be boring. Puzzles and games are a great way to stimulate the mind as well as being fun for all the family."

TEN STIMULATORS

How to keep a young brain active:

1 Encourage reading

2 Limit TV

3 Set puzzles

4 Play board games

5 Go on day trips

6 Play audio books

7 Follow a sports team – scores and player stats can help with maths skills

8 Cook with your kids – following recipes and measuring quantities

9 Get your kids to plan the day themselves

10 Play family games like Monopoly