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Holidays are something that kids usually look forward to. The break from school provides children with a lot of opportunities to play and take a pause from homework and other assignments. Even parents also enjoy the short breather and getting a break from waking up early, preparing school meals and attending parent-teacher conferences.
Although holidays should not be a reason for children to abandon studying altogether, there have always been disagreements between parents and children on the benefits of continued study during school holidays. Some say that continued study can improve a child’s learning proficiency while others vote for the fact that it will only contribute to stressing children.
It has been found through research that students typically get low test scores after the summer vacation as compared to the test scores conducted before the vacation. If we follow this school of thought, there is a strong reason to encourage continued learning while children are on holiday. Kumon, being among the leading after-school programs in India, has mentioned some more reasons why we should promote the same practice and how to apply them.
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Remember that only the school is on holiday
While the school is closed and everyone is on vacation, children’s brain activity also slows down. It does not work at full throttle and becomes leisured in breaking down and absorbing information, as compared to when kids were learning new concepts and skills during school days.
Similar to regular muscles, our brain also needs regular exercise. Continuing study during holidays can help keep their brain muscles working. They can learn by reading up on topics that interest them, preferably those aligned with the academic curriculum but at a more leisurely pace. Children can rather lower the intensity of study hours that they perform during regular school, exams or doing intensive research for homework.
Continuing learning keeps the brain active while on a break and accustomed to problem-solving, providing kids with the edge when they go back to school. In this way, they can easily pick up where they left off in their lessons.
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Its time to review
Students must take the opportunity during holidays to sort, organise and review their lessons in preparation for the resumption of classes. For instance, if your kids get a 20-days holiday from school, they can take this time to organise their notes and create summaries of past topics. Also, they can allot a day or two for sorting out their school papers and make notes on past topics for easy revisions. This will allow a better understanding of the lessons and offer them a chance to check which concepts they grasped and absorbed well and which are left untouched.
While regular classes were ongoing, you might have already established a study routine with your kids. When this habit is disrupted by periods of inactivity, it will get harder for them to get back on track. Therefore, it is best to continue practising so children won’t lose traction and maintain a steady study rhythm.
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Learning is indeed fun
While we want our children to keep on exercising their brains during holidays, we do not want them to develop an intense dislike for studying. Therefore, by keeping it light and enjoyable, you can maintain your kid’s interest in hitting the books.
Learning is not limited to just classrooms or study rooms. Take your kids out to the park and make them practise vocabulary skills. When you are at the beach with them, you can incorporate art by sketching the view on the sands. You can even create simple poems about nature when you are out camping in the mountains and help them make their vocabulary strong.
Wherever you are, there is always an opportunity to discover new things and make kids learn new concepts. Even outside the classroom, kids can still learn from simple, everyday situations. It doesn’t always need a pen, paper, books or a blackboard. Knowledge can be absorbed even from the simplest of things. Explore and continue to help your little ones appreciate the wonders of learning from the world around them.
Wrapping Up
By now, it must be clear to you why it is not preferable to stop learning even during holidays and vacations. You can also enrol your child on after-school programs such as Kumon which can help maintain regularity and discipline in learning among kids. For any further information regarding the Kumon Method, contact us or visit our website.
