Vacations From School Can Be Learning Opportunities (NAPSA)—Vacations from school can serve as opportunities for chil- dren and teens to brush up on essential skills—and reinforce what they learned during the school year. Research shows that if students are not actively engaged in learning and practicing skills during vacation months, they lose some of what they were taught during the school year. According to the National Summer Learning Association, students typically score lower on tests at the end of the summer than they do at the beginningof the summer. Many students lose about two months of grade level equivalency in mathematical computation skills over the summer months. Fortunately, there are steps parents can take to keep their children engaged and interested in learning. Here are a few tipsto help: * Schedule in visits to museums, trips to points of historical interest and exposure to nature through zoos and aquariums. All of these can be great learning experiences and lead to further reading and discussion. Take your children to the library. If your child likes movies or television shows, watch them together and then encourage your child to take out books on related subjects. Use online resources such as those provided by Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital content to schools across the country. These resourcesinclude: The Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge, an environ- By providing children with edu- cational opportunities during vacation months, parents can be sure they don’t lose skills gained during the school year. mental sustainability challenge for grades K-12. Ready Classroom, a program that educates parents, teachers and students of all ages about severe weather and disaster preparedness for classrooms, families andevenpets. The Take Me Fishing™ “Explore the Blue” online initiative, which engages teachers, students and parents in the importance of outdoor recreational activities and conservation. Energy Balance 101, a free wellness resource for elementary teachers, students and families, which aims to deliver tools and information to help students make decisions for a healthylifestyle. To access these free resources, visit http://school.discovery education.com. Discovery Education is a division of Discovery Communications, whose net- works include Discovery Channel and Animal Planet.
