YOUR DIGITAL TOOL KIT TO STOP SUMMER LEARNING LOSS 

Giving children the chance to talk about the stories they see on screens is simple but beneficial. You'll find that they start to connect what they're learning in school to screen time at home and make better viewing choices.

BY NICOLE DREISKE

Summer learning loss is looming for millions of children as school-free days seem to invite endless, often mindless, screen time. In addition to camps and outdoor activities, parents often craft ingenious solutions for "summer setback". One dad told me that his wife went online and found resources matched to each of their three kids' learning levels.

"She printed them out and the kids do one hour of schoolwork every day before they go out to play. Last year they were ahead when they went back to school." Another parent said that every year they have their kids create a list of ten books they want to read over the summer. But screen time can be part of the solution, especially if it's not used as a "reward". Let's look at some handy ways for parents to help their kids develop healthy tech habits and boost learning over the summer. I start with the three "C's":

HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILD BE MORE SCREEN SMART 

To get the ball rolling, parents just need to call on their "storybook skills" while children are using digital devices.

1. Schedule co-viewing (or cogaming) for 15 minutes twice a week. Pick a series your child loves, or a short video based on a book, like those produced by Rabbit Ears or Weston Woods. Many are available at your local library! Any story-based app or game will work, too.

TIP: Pick content that you know for your first co-play or co-viewing experience.

2. Use your "storybook voice." During screen talk, relax into the same tone and tempo you use when reading a story aloud to a child. This allows you to encourage, coax, and tease out responses. Just like reading story at bedtime, the idea is to enjoy the shared space and the cuddling, using a playful and caring tone.

3. "Prime" the mind before viewing - With a few simple words you can prime children to use higher order thinking when engaging a screen. This helps them make the most of their screen time so they don't watch mindlessly. Good priming gets kids excited about this fun, new way of using screens. The key is to make it sound fun (storybook voice!) so they're interested in watching screens with their minds awake. The first time, you say: "Today we're going to do something special and watch/play together! We're going to look for what we like, what we don't like, and why." After that you build on experiences by referencing things you've seen together.

TIP: If you need to make dinner and want to allow some solo screen time, "prime" by letting your child know you'll be talking with them later.

4. Interact and talk during screen time the way you do when reading a book to a child. Screen time is too often solitary and sedentary. But when we watch or play with screens together, we give our children wonderful new ways to connect with us. They react, share and express themselves so they're active, instead of passive. This also means they're learning to be critical thinkers and observers, not just consumers of content. Share ideas and point out details. During story time with a book, children ask questions about the colors, shapes, and characters. Let them point out details. You can comment, perhaps tying real life experiences to the book. If a child points to the picture of a kitten and says, "Kitty!" you might say, "Yes, and where did we see a kitten this week? What color was it?" Use that same kind of interaction during co-viewing. Every word counts in childhood and the more words shared with parents, the better! Ask questions. You can P&Q (pause and ask questions) or ask questions while the program is running. "What just happened there?" "What time of day is it now?" "Why do you think the character did that"? "What kind of animal is that?" "Where are they now? What's the setting?" "How do you think they'll solve that problem?" Children can easily answer your questions while watching, but don't hesitate to use the pause button to give them enough time to answer.

TIP: Add words like "character," "plot" and "setting" when you're pointing out details. Your child will quickly learn what the words mean by the way you use them, or by asking you!

TIP: When a child asks you what happened, you can turn the question back — "What do you think happened here?" It's fun to replay in slow motion and look for details!

5. Play, Draw, Co-Create. Guide energy out of screen time and into art! Children can draw their favorite character in a new setting. They can change a part of the story they didn't like. "If you didn't like that ending, how would you end the story?" If you loved a special setting, make up your own story pretending you're in that setting.

TIP: Don't just act out the scenes from a video, let the play or artwork unfold from the child's own imagination.

6. Media reports. Once or twice a month ask your child to write or "screen talk" a media report. It's just like a book report, and if they're too young to write, they can perform their media report while you video it! Age appropriate book report templates are easy to find online.

Giving children the chance to talk about the stories they see on screens is simple but beneficial. You'll find that they start to connect what they're learning in school to screen time at home and make better viewing choices. Just turn on children's minds before turning on screens, and then talk with them. Over time, they get smarter and show more empathy. That's a big return on a small investment.•

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Nicole Dreiske, Executive Director of the International Children's Media Center, is an educational innovator whose techniques for "healthy tech habits" have reached more than 500,000 children. She is the author of The Upside Of Digital Devices: How to Make Your Child More Screen SmartTM , Literate and Emotionally Intelligent, winner of the National Parenting Center's Seal of Approval. (© 2019, Nicole Dreiske, All Rights Reserved)