The Washington Post – Moriah Balingit
“For many young students, the toll of the bell on the last day of school before winter break means the beginning of holiday fun, presents and long, unstructured days. It can be a gleeful reprieve from hours in the classroom and daily homework assignments. But while the temptation for children might be to slump in front of a television or get lost in video games, some educators say it’s important to take steps to maintain what children learned in school while they’re taking a break from it. There have been studies that demonstrate children — particularly those who are disadvantaged — stand to lose a lot of academic ground over long summer breaks. It’s not clear that the same applies to winter break, but Brian Pick, chief of teaching and learning for D.C. Public Schools, pointed out that public schoolchildren in the District will be out 16 full days, including weekends, this year. “Certainly 16 days is a long amount of time when we would want students to do some work to maintain their academic progress,” he said…Here are some tips from educators and others who work with children about what families can do during winter break to prevent total educational atrophy:”(more)