Solving the Summertime Math ‘Brain Drain’

Summer brings children an extended and much-anticipated vacation from schoolwork. The positive benefits of this long break are evident in towns and cities everywhere, as children, preteens and adolescents glory in their freedom. For most kids, summertime means attending camp, riding bikes, swimming, or just “hanging out� with friends. In the Digital Age, it also means being able to play games on their computers or PDAs without being told repeatedly to “Stop playing and do your homework!� That’s the good news for students – but not for their math teachers. According to research reports, over the two months of summer, most students are at risk of losing more than two months of their newly acquired math skills, as momentum gained is lost due to lack of practice. As a result, when school resumes, teachers often must spend the first two months of every school year, or even more, focusing on lesson plans specifically designed to help students regain their math skills. Having to go over the same material instead of moving ahead and building on accumulated knowledge, is lost time.

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