Combating Summer Brain Drain at STEM-Focused Fun Places

As part of our Future of Innovation series, Steve Adubato goes One-on-One with Dina El Nabli, Editorial Director of NJ Family, to talk about the ways parents can combat the summer brain drain in their kids and STEM-focused, family fun places in the New York and New Jersey area to keep them educated and entertained.

7/30/19 #2237

 

 

 

 

 

Excerpt:

"Everything you've ever wanted or needed to know about the Summer Brain Drain, and what to do with your kids in the Summer we got Dina El Nabli. She's Editorial Director, New Jersey Family. A great publication that's all about what? Parenting in New Jersey, things to do with your kids, really that's it. If you want to know great things that are going on in New Jersey for families, we've got it covered. So let's deal with this thing called... I just told you, our kids... they're only out of school for a little bit, and I'm thinking, "Is this Summer Brain Drain already hitting them?" What's the Brain Drain? So basically on average, kids lose about two to three months of what they learn, and they forget in the Summer, because they're not, you know, in school. So they're forgetting, mostly in math and reading. Right. And then when they get back to school, it takes teachers about two months to reteach what they've already learned in review. So that's why everyone emphasizes Summer reading. But we also want to talk about STEM and opportunities for kids to learn about science and math interactively over the Summer. Could you do this for us Dina? Just tell me, and I'll tell my kids, because I'll make them watch this. When you get a Summer reading list from school beginning to read it on August 27th is not the appropriate time, correct? Correct. [laughter] But if they're procrastinators like me, they might do that. But that's...? [laughter] But it's not... You lose the whole point? Exactly. They should be reading all Summer. Right. And start with something they like, instead of what... something they have to read, just to kind of get into it. So let's do this. Dina's gonna take us through some places... listen, particularly when it comes to science, technology, engineering, math, really great stuff. Some places in the Summer, in our region, New York New Jersey, the greatest region in the nation. The Thomas Edison National Historical Park...? In West Orange. It's around the corner from my house. I know. Where... so... And we haven't been there yet. Why should we go? Oh my goodness. It's ridiculous. You need to go. That's crazy. So it is... everyone knows Thomas Edison. Kids know he invented the light bulb. But it's something quite different to actually see where he worked. He had over a thousand patents. The phonograph. The telegraph. And you can see his lab. So it's a national park site. So you could do the Junior Ranger program. Kids can get a badge at the end. They..."