As the nation’s children settle in for another school year, many parents and teachers wonder how the summer break affected their children’s academic achievement.

VacationBetter.org announces a new analysis of a U.S. Department of Education study finding that children who travel over summer break – whether to a beach, historic site or a national park – did better in reading, math and general knowledge than their peers who didn’t vacation.

A series of analyses were conducted to determine the relationship between summer vacation travel and academic achievement in children entering first grade. Specifically, the study explored whether going on a vacation, the number of days spent on a vacation and places visited were linked to academic achievement in the areas of reading, mathematics and general knowledge. The results revealed a significant difference in academic achievement and taking a family summer vacation trip.

Children that traveled with their family over summer vacation scored higher on academic achievement assessment tests than those who did not travel. The days spent on family summer vacation trips had a modest significant relationship with academic achievement.

Lastly, children who visited plays or concerts, art or science museums, historical sites, beaches or lakes, national or state parks, and zoos or aquariums had significantly higher academic achievement scores than those who did not.

(Source) Press

Announced as a child enrichment website with easy-to-follow messages for young children, Kidz4Mation, a UK-based child development business, launched its unique, new website, http://www.kidz4mation.com on May 31, 2009.

“Our goal is to create a resource web site where parents and teachers can visit and download fully-illustrated personal development ebooks for children, materials that will make a difference in their lives and be fun and appealing,” said Hitul Thobhani, co-founder of Kidz4Mation.

“We want to be a resource when there is a need for parental and education tools to help in the ever-challenging support of raising children in their formative years.”

Kidz4mation.com features six beautifully illustrated ebooks for download, each with a message of positive development. Mikey Helps Toot Toot stresses that a thought is a thing: one positive thought leads to another. The theme of Tiggle Takes Off! is to be grateful for what you have. Mikey Says I Can Do It sends a message of limiting beliefs and addressing them with positive affirmations.

Mikey Aces His Test is about what to say to yourself to be successful. Mikey Takes a Moment! focuses on calming the mind with meditation. And the theme of Chik Chik’s Cap is raising self-esteem for the differently enabled.

The lesson in each story is reinforced by questions and exercises for children in the form of Mikey says sections. Also, parents/teachers notes help facilitate learning in the classroom and home.

Kidz4Mation plans to continuously add resource links to subjects like the influence of proper nutrition on a child’s behavior as well as online child development training.

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