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"It is the middle of summer vacation and most kids are enjoying their time off from class. Educators say that during the summer, students are losing about two month\u2019s worth of learning and the regression is even worse for low-income students.The hallways are virtually empty, but class is in session at Hazelwood Elementary.Mobile videoA group of third graders were making what they call \"gloop,\u201D all while following directions and executing the lesson themselves.It is all part of a voluntary summer learning program.\u201CThey want to be here. They want to get on the bus and come in every morning. They want to wake up extra early and be with us,\u201D said assistant principal Karen Waggoner.This is the first year that Hazelwood has offered a free summer program for kids in third to fifth grade.Waggoner says the idea is to keep kids learning in a structured environment longer.\u201CThere's so much regression that can happen over the summer, particularly in the areas of reading and math,\u201D said Waggoner.The lessons correspond with what the students will be learning next year.Fifth graders are learning about the civil rights movement with the help of the Walden TheatreNearly 60 students signed up for Hazelwood's program.Waggoner says it's for kids who are struggling and for those who excel.The classes have kids of all levels, including one student who doesn't speak English.All of them benefit from more time in the classroom --\u201CWe're learning to be a better reader and writer,\u201D said fifth grader Katilyn Roberts.\u00A0\u201CJust to keep structure in their days throughout the summer helps them ease back into school come the fall,\u201D said Waggoner.For parents who don't have access to a program like this, experts say summer camp can have similar benefits.Parents are also advised to keep the learning going at home, even just by reading with children.\u00A0\u00A0\u00A0The summer learning doesn't have to be in a classroom. Experts say you can find lessons anywhere -- at the pool, the beach, a baseball diamond or baking in the kitchen.Here are some additional tips:1. Make Time for LearningSet aside time for your student to read each day during the summer break -- 15 to 30 minutes per day is all it takes. During the summer, students have more time to read for enjoyment, which also offers a great opportunity to preserve and strengthen their reading skills. Your summer activities should include taking your children or teenagers to the public library to check out books of interest and/or any summer reading groups they'd like to join.A great way to track how much reading your child is doing during the summer months is a tally on your regular activities calendar. This will help keep the daily reading time from being overlooked because of other summer activities -- and we know there are many.Parents of students reading\u00A0below\u00A0grade level should read with their children in order to assist with sounding out words they might not be able to decode themselves. In addition, keep a dictionary or online source close by to help students figure out those words by using the phonetic spelling provided.2. Learn and Practice AffixesChildren and teens of all grade levels can improve their reading and spelling skills by learning affixes. Most multi-syllable words include prefixes and suffixes added to a base word. You can find a list of affixes and their meanings in a dictionary or in many online sources. To make this practice appealing, turn it into a game. Students can create flashcards of prefixes and suffixes. On the reverse side of each affix flash card, they should write the meaning. All children love guessing games and can point out what they think the affix means. You can also use this game to help them learn new vocabulary words.3. Develop Math SkillsThough it may not seem fun to them at the time, working on just three to four math problems per day during the summer can prevent students' mathematical skills from getting rusty. They can look at it as a daily challenge that they must complete, or a daily \"to-do\" to proudly check off their calendar. Parents can purchase a math workbook for their child's academic level at most bookstores. Working on just a few problems daily (or more, if your child enjoys math) can help students of all ages close the gaps in their math skills, preserve what they learned during the previous school year, and prepare for the next.4. Improve Reading ComprehensionTo help your children better understand what they're reading, consider offering them a reading comprehension workbook to work on several minutes daily. These can be found at teacher supply stores or many online outlets. Students of all grades and ability levels can benefit scholastically by working with material that offers self-quizzes and high-interest stories. This practice helps develop their fact-retaining and inference-making skills.5. Review and Build Grammar SkillsReview the past grade level's grammar concepts, and begin to work on the next school year's concepts. During the summer, students benefit from weekly reviews or pre-learning two to four lessons. Find workbooks geared to their grade or skill level, and encourage them to check their work using the answer key provided. Even if they make mistakes on their answers (and who doesn't make mistakes?), finally filling in the correct answers will reinforce their grammar skills.6. Encourage Creative WritingCreative writing is a great way to improve your children's written language skills while giving them a fun and imaginative activity during the summer! Have your student write a creative paragraph each week. As a parent, you can help by assisting him or her with choosing a topi\" (such as a family vacation, special outing or holiday memory) to write a paragraph about. Students can also benefit from using a thesaurus and changing several common words to more interesting words. This will make their writing more interesting\u00A0while\u00A0learning great new words at the same time.7. Focus on Specific SkillsPinpoint the subjects your child had the most trouble learning the previous school year, and make sure to fit in some practice in these areas. Summer is an\u00A0ideal\u00A0time to set aside just 15 to 30 minutes a day for helping your student on areas of difficulty. Again, use every resource available to you. Parents are not helpless when it comes to their child's education. Online resources and teacher supply stores offer a wide variety of learning materials, workbooks, computer games, and other types of games to reinforce and strengthen scholastic skills. Students may wish to play learning games with their friends to help make the time fly by and make learning more fun.Over the summer, students and parents who practice the above tips can see great strengthening and improvement in scholastic skills, and avoid digressing two to three months in learning. Summer learning can be fun\u00A0and\u00A0challenging at the same time. Students may find learning to be more fun as they become more capable of meeting scholastic challenges and overcoming any learning weaknesses. By implementing a summer plan and igniting your child's passion for learning, he or she can enjoy a renewed sense of academic self-esteem and dignity -- wonderful benefits of learning not to be counted out."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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