The Los Angeles Times – Michelle Maltais
“Winter break is just around the corner — it starts on Dec. 21 in the Los Angeles Unified School District. That means that kids will be at home or traveling for at least a week, far away from teachers, classrooms and textbooks. So should parents worry about keeping their children engaged in learning? Over summer break, kids’ brains can lose what they’ve learned over the previous school year, a phenomenon researchers dub the “summer slide.” But what about chilling out in winter? In summer, most children lose about two months’ worth of math skills, research shows. Low-income students also tend to lose some reading skills during the summer, even as their peers from higher-income families gain in reading. The key to countering the emptiness of off-time is to fill it with learning experiences.”(more)