Canny Minds Blog

School holidays lead to ‘brain drain’ in children

Posted on 23. Jul, 2009 by Jenny in Articles, General

The warning comes in response to research published by American university John Hopkins1 which urges parents to take active precautions to keep their children’s brains active during the summer. 

On average, teachers say it takes over a month to get children re-focussed on school work following the summer holidays, so any activity which helps keep their brains active will benefit their education greatly.

Jenny Low, from online brain training portal Canny Minds, 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 which 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 which won’t spoil their fun.”

Top Ten Brain Drain Busting Tips

1. Encourage reading
2. Limit TV
3. Set puzzles
4. Play card 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

The American research shows that the amount of independent reading, which  a child does outside of school, contributes significantly to a growth in their vocabulary, verbal fluency, reading comprehension and general knowledge. 

Jenny continued: “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 bribery!  Try setting up an incentive scheme which rewards time spent reading with little treats and they’ll soon start enjoying reading on their own.”

Philip Carter, the puzzle editor for MENSA and regular contributor to the Cannyminds.com interactive games room said: “Keeping your brain active as a young person doesn’t have to be boring.  Puzzles, quizzes and games are a great way to stimulate the mind as well as being great fun for all the family”.

www.Cannyminds.com is the UK’s leading online brain training portal with books, DVDs, audio books, games and puzzles for all ages.  As well as an online shop, it also offers independent articles and advice along with an interactive games room, which includes puzzles and quizzes developed by MENSA puzzle editor Philip Carter.

References:

1. Research conducted by The National Center for Summer Learning at John Hopkins University’s School of Education.  http://www.summerlearning.org

Photos courtesy of photosavvy and woodleywonderworks

Tags: Children, games, learning