Few things define us more than how we respond to a challenge. There are those who see a problem and let it shut them down. They feel instantly overwhelmed and walk away. On the other hand, there are people who see their strategy isn’t working and quickly adopt a new plan of attack. They work through problems tirelessly until they are solved. As parents we all wonder, “How can I make sure my child is part of the latter group? How do I raise a capable and determined human being?” Believe it or not, one crucial step, such as summer math camps, can improve your child’s math skills! In fact, experts have found that math is far more powerful than you might realize when it comes to creating a successful foundation for life.
Why math skills matter.
Math is a universal language that we all use on a daily basis. A firm grasp of mathematics is foundational to understanding and existing in the world. I remind my students daily that calculators and phones replace math skills as well as Google Translate can replace a native speaker. Understanding math is far more than simply finding the right answer to a problem in a textbook. Mastering the critical thinking required for mathematics is a priceless skill that will help kids in every area of life.
Getting kids interested in math.
Educational extracurricular activities like math camps used to be a hard sell for parents and kids alike. Before the explosion of STEM summer camps, many people believed that having a job requiring math was synonymous with plugging away at a mind-numbingly boring career. Luckily those days are far behind us.
Of course, while you can still have a successful career as an accountant or math teacher, that’s not what the majority of kids dream of being when they grow up. Careers in technology, on the other hand, are both lucrative and appealing to teens.
How do I stop summer learning loss?
If you are serious about helping kids learn outside of school, you know how urgent it is to stop summer learning loss. Did you know that on average, students lose approximately 2.6 months of math education over the course of one summer? According to Harvard, not only are kids not learning during the summer but they are forgetting what they already know. Essentially, that means that we aren’t improving kids’ math skills for six out of 12 months of the year. This is true across socioeconomic boundaries and it’s affecting an incredible number of children.
How math camps help students get ahead of the curve.
Even with parents’ best effort, it’s a struggle to seriously improve children’s math skills at home. That’s why summer math programs like math camps are foundational to success. These types of summer learning activities are useful on numerous levels for a range of different students.
