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Watch Dr. Kanner discuss this topic this Monday, June 22nd @ 8:20am on San Diego 6 News In The Morning - CW.
Background: The last
thing that children want to think about over the summer is school.
After all, in their minds, they work very hard during the school year
and deserve a break. In a real sense, they are right and a balanced
summer filled with a combination of relaxation, socialization, fun
activities, and family time is essential for the optimal development of
children and adolescents. As I have discussed before, summertime
presents a time to invest in activities that might not be possible
during the school year and may be the only opportunity for children to
learn new tasks and further expand upon their peer relationships.
However, the summer usually goes by quickly and when children do not
keep their academic minds active when school is not in session, they
may be "rusty" or at least more resistant to get back into school in
the Fall. In fact, many children who have to go to summer school are
actually sometimes better prepared to take on the academics once their
vacation is over. Furthermore, as each grade in school progresses, the
difficulty of the work increases as well as the homework and the
expectation is that the children have learned and mastered the material
from the year before and are ready to move forward. Given the typical
minds of children, integration of academic material is a process over
time and requires practice and repetition and gaps in review make the
recall of previously learned material more difficult which may cause
anxiety and insecurity in many children.
Most academics suggest that reading is the single most important
activity that children and adults alike can do to keep their intellect
consistent or even advanced. However, presenting reading to children
over the summer is usually not well received for it feels too much like
school. Parents therefore, have to somehow make the activity either
fun or part of the family routine. I have always been an advocate of a
family reading time. Here, a particular time is set aside in the house
where the television, computer, game systems, and cell phones are off,
and everyone has a book that they are reading over the summer.
Children take their leads from their parents, so if reading becomes a
family tradition, most children will adopt the activity.
It is always a good idea to keep close by the academic materials of
your child from the previous school year in order to do a brief review
a few weeks before school resumes in the Fall. Here, the parent is
helping their child "brush up" on the most current academic material
from the previous grade. Although most schools spend the first week or
two of the new school year reviewing, when this is done is a fun and
casual manner at home beforehand, the child feel well-prepared and
begins the new school year with a sense of confidence which might then
translate into greater success.
Other creative activities such as music, art, and other learning camps
also exercise the mind over the summer and do well when mixed with some
sport and relaxation. Once again, balance is key in helping children
stay on top of their busy lives.
Key Points:
1. Reading is the best way to keep children's minds active over the summer
2. 2 weeks before school starts, spend some time reviewing the previous school year material
3. Children who feel the most prepared for the Fall get off to the best start
4. Balance the summer with some learning and some fun
Dr Keith Kanner
Morning Show Host
Your Family Matters
San Diego 6 News - CW
San Diego Living Show
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About drkanner
Dr. Kanner is a Licensed Clinical Child, Adolescent, and Adult Psychologist and Psychoanalyst with a full time private practice in Rancho Santa Fe, California. He is also an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry in the School of Medicine at U.C. San Diego and a Clinical Instructor and Supervisor at the San Diego Psychoanalytic Society and Institute. Recently, he has become the Director of Clinical Counseling for La Jolla Country Day School and has been named to the National Board of Directors for KidsKorps, USA. He continues as a Consultant for many public and private schools in San Diego and has also received distinguished teaching awards over the past seven years. He is a published author and a sought after speaker on topics pertaining to childhood, adolescence, and parenthood. He is also presently writing a book for Fox based on his show, Your Family Matters.
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