Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
In only a few weeks, most schools on the island will be closing down for the long summer break. Whilst the summer vacation is a much-needed break for children it is also a time when valuable learning that takes place throughout the year is in danger of being lost as children conform to a relaxed holiday.
It is a fact of education that the first few weeks of the new term in September can be lost to ‘catch up’ when students need to be reminded of the facts, figures and learning that was tripping off their tongue only a few weeks earlier.
The start of the autumn term, therefore, is actually a good indicator of how much students genuinely grasped of previous topics since their ability to remember and apply their learning will indicate the overall amount of learning that took place.
It is also a fact of education that the students who spent at least some time during the summer holiday studying in preparation for the next academic year generally progress at a greater speed as they hit the ground running. In other words, students who have retained knowledge don’t have to spend so much time catching up and get start learning new content quicker.
But how can parents encourage their children to pick up a text book and begin working through it when in all honesty, they don’t actually have to? Other than threatening them or locking them in their rooms, here are a few tricks that might help your child get a head start in the new term.
l Set a time: If children know that every day they will need to study for one hour, they will be much more likely to sit down and get on with it, safe in the knowledge that it is a fixed time and that after that their time is their own.
l Make it relevant: Perhaps your children have been studying a particular topic in Social Studies or Science that is of interest to them such as castles, invaders, gravity or space.
There are many places to go in Bahrain or in the surrounding areas where children can put their learning to the test. Visits such as these can also be written about as a topic.
lKeep a record: Children can document their summer holidays in internet forums such as Facebook as a way of keeping their writing skills fresh and keeping their family and friends up to date.
l Use internet resource sites that are useful and up-to-date: One of the best sites online at the moment for teachers and home learners alike is www.twinkl.co.uk – it is a fantastic mix of relevant resources and even ones that are specific to Bahrain!
l Use every opportunity: Keep children focused on their learning at all times as even a car journey is an opportunity to recite the times-tables.
Children don’t want to study during the summer holidays, but by making their study timely and consistent, they will be more likely to come back to school in September refreshed and ready to start ... rather than refreshed, but running on empty.
