Grace Church-Burlington

“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at 20 or 80. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.” Henry Ford

Most kids look forward to taking the summer off from school and with it...all learning. Talk to most young people about learning something during summer break and they’ll quickly tell you that they want to learn as little as possible over the summer. But there’s more than one way to skin a cat. Any parent with just a little bit of creativity and effort can make learning very enjoyable and even desired.

There’s a lot knowledge that can never be learned in a book. Over the years we’ve dragged our children through museums and libraries, visited battlefields, seen the seats of government power (visiting Parliament in Toronto with heckling of the speaker by the opposition party is unforgettable), gone on “good walks” through some of our nation’s great historic districts. We’ve visited zoos, gone deep sea fishing, crabbing, trekked mountain trails and shared a few nearly disastrous experiences of sea and car sickness. It’s so easy to discuss God’s omnipotence and wonderful creation while looking up at a star filled sky in the Upper Peninsula or talk about His handiwork standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon.

One newspaper recently reported that educators are very concerned about “summer brain drain.” They now believe that almost all students lose between two and 2 1/2 months of math computational skills over the summer. The good news is that most of the students can recapture that learning quite quickly in the fall. The bad news is the reminder that a brain in neutral is a brain losing ground. The data on reading ability is particularly interesting. Children who read over the summer grow in reading knowledge and comprehension. No surprise there. The really interesting part of this research is the suggestion that a wide variety of summer experiences can provide background knowledge that turns out to be indispensable to growth in the understanding of what is read. “Life experiences other than reading can lead to advantages in reading comprehension,” advised Daniel T. Willingham, a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia. “If you don't have a reading problem or a problem with decoding...your ability to read a passage is dependent on having some relevant background knowledge.”

The gap in rich learning experiences turns out to have much to do with socio-economic factors. Children who are deprived of the kinds of experiences that come through travel, conversations with parents, cultural experiences, and contact with nature turn out to have problems reading that have nothing to do with words on a page and everything to do with missing background knowledge. This research should encourage parents to think of the summer – and particularly of summer vacation plans – as an opportunity to provide invaluable "background knowledge" for the entire family. Summer vacation affords a priceless opportunity for families to learn together. To our shame, many families drive right past incredible opportunities for learning. How did the states get their shape? Where exactly does this river flow? What is this historical marker telling us?

There’s nothing wrong with heading to Great America or Disney, but remember those are “amusement” parks. Muse means to think, thus amuse means to not think. We are stewards of the minds that God has given us. It really doesn’t take a lot to turn the summer into a fun and enriching learning opportunity is. But it won’t happen if parents are not proactive.

During the school year, whatever the educational model, children are largely directed to learn what is required by the curriculum and, in many cases, individual learning projects and the interests of the children are left behind. The summer affords an all-too-brief opportunity to let your children learn about what interests them the most – and become teachers of their siblings (and sometimes their parents as well). Where exactly was the "Little House on the Prairie?" What are the different kinds of bridges and how are they used? Just what is the difference between a frog and a toad? You don’t have to go far to find wonderful opportunities for learning. While travel remains one of the most intellectually enriching experiences for people of all ages, there are plenty of opportunities close at home. Have you taken your children to the county courthouse or City Hall? Have you plundered all opportunities to visit the museums, libraries, and cultural assets close to home? Do your children even know about the wildlife they can find in the grass outside the back door?

Christian parents are responsible for a particular stewardship of learning, for we are responsible to inculcate a Christian worldview and distinctively Christian patterns of thinking in our children. The summer affords an unparalleled opportunity for this as well, as every event, observation, book, news story, and road trip offers a constant and precious opportunity to turn our children's questions into moments of timely learning. So take every opportunity to add to the Christian "background knowledge" that leads to a deeper understanding of the Gospel and the Christian faith.

Enjoy the summer and make the most of it, whether hitting the beach, resting in the mountains, climbing the local hill, or visiting grandparents. Just remember to maximize every opportunity for learning and to provide important "background knowledge" for the education of children. Who knows? Parents who pay attention to this might well avoid their own "summer brain drain."