By Connect with Kids
“Most people, I guess, don’t really spend their summers doing academic things.”
– Margaret Coy, a student
Many teens spend their summer vacation days playing – and working – without ever opening a book.
But not Zach Wilson and Margaret Coy: They take college preparatory classes during their school break.
“Most people, I guess, don’t really spend their summers doing academic things. Some people look at me like I’m kind of crazy for it, but I’ve enjoyed it,” Margaret says.
“I want to keep going [to school] in the summer so I can get done a lot faster and go to law school,” Zach adds.
Zach’s and Margaret’s academic habits are more in line with students around the world. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, students in Taiwan spend 10 additional weeks in school compared to U.S. students. Students in Canada, Spain and Scotland attend classes two weeks longer than their American counterparts. And experts say that in matters of education, quantity matters.
“It’s particularly true in the mathematics and science areas that the United States does not tend to do as well as students from other nations when you compare their abilities,” says Dianne Weber, admissions director at Georgia State University.
One problem, Weber says, is that all summer long teens don’t exercise their brains. One way to counteract this effect is to take a class.
“So I think the idea is, keep your child’s mind active during the summer … not just going to the swimming pool, not just watching television, but really being involved in some cultural experiences or reading experiences,” Weber says.
Still, experts say that kids shouldn’t spend all of their free time hitting the books because they run the risk of experiencing too much stress.
“The student could get burned out earlier than they need to be,” Weber says.
Margaret knows how to keep her life balanced with study and play. She is a member of the dance team, Spanish club and cross-country team, but she also leaves time for “just the regular things – hanging out with my friends and maintaining a social life,” she says.
Tips for Parents
Teens Seek Learning Enhancement
While many students nationwide are enjoying the school-free days of summer, some are choosing to spend the next few months trying to get an early jump on the next academic year.
More and more students are trading sleep away camps this summer for precollege courses. Programs offered by universities such as Penn State and UCLA give 15 and 16-year-olds the opportunity to enhance their academic career by spending a month on a college campus, which includes college courses and SAT prep classes.
These students are seeking new ways to enhance their learning, which they say lags behind other countries. In fact, the U.S. Department of Education says that American students only spend an average of 178 days in school vs. countries like China (251), Israel (215) and Italy (204).
And data from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) reveals evidence that the quality of U.S. instruction in mathematics may lag behind that of other countries.
A program initiated in Massachusetts in 2006 to extend the school day has proven that more time in school improves grades. Students in the program have had greater gains in state reading and math tests than peers in schools with traditional schedules.
How can parents help enhance their children’s learning, especially during the summer break? The National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) offers these suggestions:
For Children:
Enrich your child’s experiences by lending personal meaning to school learning. For example, if your child is studying a local Native American group, take him or her to a museum or mission. If he or she is studying marine life, visit the beach to explore the tide pools, or take a trip to an aquarium.
Recognize that everyday experience enhances school learning, too. You may not realize it, but those trips to the park, to a city and to a relative’s house, and the pet turtle or fish your child has in his or her room, all help your child relate to what he or she reads and learns.
Read to or with your child every day.
Show that you enjoy reading. Let your child see you reading books, magazines, newspapers, school notices and other written materials.
Use your public library and discover its resources with your child.
Use your television as a teaching tool. Watch insightful programs with your child, and talk about what you are viewing.
Share some of your new knowledge with your child. Let him or her see how learning continues throughout a lifetime.
Enroll your child in a day camp. Most camps offer a wide variety of activities that will stimulate your child’s mind and teach him or her new skills that he or she can apply to tasks during the school year.
For Teens:
Share personal stories with your teen. The possibilities are endless. You can share stories about your childhood or even tell your teen about his or her birth. The stories you share can give your teen a sense of connectedness with the past.
Provide your teen with the opportunity to try distance learning. Several online programs focusing on a variety of educational topics exist.
Involve your teen in independent reading and study. Independent reading and study will help your teen to prepare academically for college. This is a good way to develop interests, expand knowledge and improve the vocabulary and reading comprehension skills needed for college and the SAT or ACT.
Encourage extracurricular activities. Many school, community and religious organizations enable high school students to explore their interests and talents by providing activities outside the classroom. Colleges are often interested in a student’s extracurricular activities, such as school clubs, the student newspaper, athletics, musical activities and arts and drama, especially if a student has excelled in one or more of these areas.
Challenge your teen to obtain a job or volunteer for community service. Work experience – paid or volunteer – can teach teens discipline, responsibility, reliability, teamwork and other skills. A summer job may be a good way to gain experience and earn money for college as well. Activities, such as tutoring children in the community or volunteering at the local hospital, make valuable contributions to society and also help students to identify their career interests and goals, gain workplace skills and apply classroom learning to real-world problem solving.
While summer vacation provides an excellent time for your child to enhance his or her learning, make sure that your child – a teen in particular – is not embarking on the road to school burnout. If you do notice that stress is affecting your child’s health, behavior, thoughts or feelings, the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry suggests these methods for decreasing your child’s stress levels:
Make sure your child exercises and eats regularly.
Teach your child relaxation exercises, such as abdominal breathing and muscle relaxation techniques.
Help your child develop practical coping skills. For example, teach him or her to break a large task into smaller, more attainable tasks.
Make sure your child takes a break from studying. Activities like listening to music, talking to a friend, drawing, writing or spending time with a pet can reduce stress.
Encourage your child to build a network of friends who challenge and support him or her in a positive way.
References
American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
National Center for Education Statistics
National Parent Teacher Association
U.S. Department of Education
