Mentally St imulat ing Act i v i t i es for Summer
In one study, when asked to imagine themselves as a stereotypical male, females performed much better on mental rotation tests. In another study, participants in male and female gender groups were given a test. After completing it, testers either told participants that their gender group scored higher or told participants that the opposite gender group scored higher. Then, the participants were tested again. As you probably guessed, the women who were told men did better on the test performed much worse, and the women who were told women did better on the test did much better. The results showed the same influence of perception across genders — men performed worse when they were told women did better on the test and better when told that men did better on the test. So far into the research, the perception of an ability seems to be just as, if not more, influential as actual ability on performance. As Kaufman concludes, “What we believe to be true matters.” If a student believes they have strong math skills, they’ll probably do better in math. If an athlete considers themselves talented, they might score more goals in a game. Of course, training and effort have an impact on performance. But the results of these studies highlight how important confidence is too. So, want to do better? Try believing you can. Does Conf i dence Have On Performance? fun. Encourage your older children to take the reins for preparing regular meals throughout the summer. You can pick guiding themes, like “a trip to Mexico” or “pasta party,” but let them choose the recipes and prep the meals on their own. FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY: AN EDUCATIONAL FIELD TRIP Field trips always inspire excitement in students, and you’ll find the same goes for your family members. You can tailor your destination to the interests of your kids for maximum engagement. If you have a family of art lovers, head to a museum for some inspiration and discussion. Kids who prefer the outdoors will enjoy a nature walk or hike. You can bring along a field guide to identify flora and fauna. These trips may not pack the thrill of a water park, but they’re fun in an entirely different way. FOR TEENAGERS: FAMILY DINNER PARTY Cooking teaches so many important skills: math, science, nutrition, concentration, cultural understanding, following directions, creativity, time management, and more. Even better, it doesn’t feel like learning; it feels like
Every summer, parents across the country have to deal with the same delicate problem. They want to make sure their kids continue to learn without feeling like they’re being assigned tasks. After all, summer homework
is every child’s worst nightmare. Luckily, you don’t have to rely on math problems and book reports to keep your child’s development from taking a two-month
vacation. Here are a few mentally stimulating activities that are as educational as they are fun.
FOR LITTLE ONES: HOMEMADE BUBBLES
Bubbles fascinate young children, so why not spend a day making your own solution and experimenting by blowing different types of bubbles? The formula is simple: 1 part dish soap (Dawn or Joy work best) to 10 parts water.
Optionally, you can also include 1/4 part glycerin. The process of making the solution will teach ratios, and finding creative ways to blow bubbles fosters problem-solving skills and creative thinking.
Gender stereotypes have persisted for a long time. The idea that men are more capable in math and science than women, for example, is one that still, even if subliminally, manifests in society. And in some areas, the differences have even been documented. In spatial tests involving the mental rotation of geometric shapes, results show a large variability between how men and women performed. Scientists have puzzled over these results for many years, trying to pinpoint the factors that created the gap. Is it biological? Is it psychological? Maybe we can blame outdated perceptions, like women having a lowered spatial awareness, for the results. Scott Barry Kaufman, Scientific Director at the University of Pennsylvania, points to more recent studies that show the influence of confidence on ability. According to Kaufman, “Recent research suggests that the difference in performance may not have to do so much with actual ability, but perceptions of that ability.” If performance is related to how well you expect to perform, and you’ve been told since you were a kid that you wouldn’t do well in one subject, it begs the question, what would happen if that perception changed?
2 www.MathCelebrity.com
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