How to keep students from backsliding over summer

Parents concerned that their children will forget everything they learned in school over the course of the summer months away from school may have every reason to worry, according to a study by Duke University.

The report states that long summer vacations "break the rhythm of instruction, lead to forgetting and require a significant amount of review when students return to school in the fall."

According to that study, students' overall achievement test scores drop by about one month, on average, over summer vacation. Skills in mathematics and spelling usually take the biggest hits, with math skills suffering almost a 2.6 month loss in achievement.

There are steps that parents can take to help their children learn and even get ahead over the summer months. These tips can help turn the break from structured learning into an opportunity for students to sharpen their skills.

•Take frequent trips to the library.

•Attend thematic programs at the library. Libraries often host a variety of summer programs.

•Talk to teachers and ask them what they will be teaching next year at school. For example, if your child will be studying a unit on the civil war, plan a visit to Gettysburg.

•Check out audio books from the library for children to listen to in the car.

•Consider summer tutoring. Take advantage of the summer months to remediate or accelerate a child in areas like reading comprehension, mathematics, writing of SAT/ACT prep.

•Research has revealed a direct connection between learning to play a musical instrument and an increased aptitude in mathematics. Consider introducing children to music lessons over the summer.