Behavioral, Social & Learning Disabilities: 5 Ways to Keep Kids Learning This Summer by 30Seconds Mom

Summer can be incredibly daunting for any parent, even more so if the child has behavioral, social or learning difficulties. Did you know that often, in these cases, the child may have left- or right-brain weakness, which leads to outbursts, tantrums or full on meltdowns? But according to the education advocates at Brain Balance Achievement Centers, an innovative, drug-free, holistic, non-medical approach to addressing the challenges of behavioral, social or learning disabilities, there are five simple things parents can do to help with left- or right-brain weakness and make this this summer a springboard for achievement.

• Get Your Child Moving: Activities that involve active physical motion help children to read with greater comprehension and retain more information. Enjoy the summer sun by taking your child on an outdoor gallery walk, or take the fun indoors to an exploration-style, hands-on museum.

• Come Up With a Daily Schedule: Routines keep children grounded – and they are especially necessary during breaks, when the regular school schedule goes out the window. Let your child have input into their schedule – it will give them agency and make them feel empowered.

• Spend Time in the Kitchen: Let your child do simple activities like measuring ingredients, dividing up portions and reading recipes. This reinforces their reading and math skills without making them feel intimidated. Plus, it helps you with dinner!
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• Encourage Writing in a Journal: Have your child write about their feelings or thoughts during the summer break. This is a fun way to boost their writing skills and show them that writing can be a meaningful outlet. And, of course, it will show in their assignments when the school year starts back up.

• Let Your Child Get His Hands Dirty: Stimulate your child’s tactile and visual senses by letting them play with toys like sidewalk chalk and finger paints. These activities are sensory and help your child develop fine motor skills. They’re also plain old fun.

To understand left- and right-brain weakness in children, check out this simple online assessment.