Summer jobs for teens are an endangered species worth saving.

These seasonal jobs offer more than a paycheck. Summer employment can:

• Improve academic performance, especially among lower-income teens.

• Teach important employment skills, including teamwork and problem-solving.

• Give teens real-world experience demonstrating a work ethic and satisfying bosses who expect them to earn every dollar.

“We don’t naturally know how to be good employees,” says Kathy Kristof, editor of SideHusl, a review site for part-time employment. “We learn, just like we learn the alphabet, with practice.”

In my latest for the Associated Press, how working this summer can prepare your teen for the job market.