The Gay Uncle read in the paper today that school districts all over the country are dropping or seriously curtailing their programs. Many are doing so because of huge budget deficits–this despite all the federal stimulus money that has become available–while others cite nonexistent issues like Swine Flu as influencing their decisions. But the effect will be the same: boredom for kids, scrambling for parents, and what educators like Gunc call Summer Skill Loss–the tendency for kids to forget about a third of what they learned during the school year. Now the G.U. is all for breaks, both for teachers and for kids. They allow time for rejuvenation and the integration of new information. But studies ( april07asrfeature.pdf) have shown conclusively that if they’re not exposed to stimulating and enriching activities that push them to use their brains (and they don’t have to be doing math drills or writing book reports) their new knowledge just dribbles down their spines, and out of their butts. What’s worse, because poorer kids tend not to be exposed to such activities–camp, field trips, vacations–during the summer at the same rates as wealthier kids, the gap only increases. The G.U. isn’t sure how he feels about universal year-round school programs–though they certainly have their benefits–but he’s definitely in favor of states and municipalities providing fun, engaging, and intellectually stimulating summer programs for whoever wants to take advantage of them, especially those folks who can’t afford other options. If yours summer school program has been canceled, do what you can to find an alternative to your child sitting in front of the TV or playing video games all summer. Even small experiences–a weekly trip to the library to find books on a topic of interest or attend storytime, keeping a daily journal with pictures and words or dictated observations, charting the growth and change of a nearby stand of trees or plants, counting and sorting dried beans–can keep those goopy brains agile. Stop the loss.