Stay Smart This Summer!
As the end of the school year draws near, the words on every student's lips are "I can't wait until summer!" Students work hard all year, and an extended break from school can recharge their batteries and renew their enthusiasm for learning. Unfortunately, research has shown that this much deserved summer break can often result in a drop in skills; with the average student losing at least 20% of what they learned the previous school year. Aside from academic support over the summer, there are a lot of fun ways to keep your child's skills active. Here are some tips for parents from the University of Phoenix:
Tip 1: Turn everyday activities into learning opportunities. Children need to engage in writing, reading, and math with a purpose - they need to understand the real-world applications of their studies. Students can assist parents with making grocery lists, counting money, determining restaurant tips, and measuring for recipes. A great way to learn fractions is by calculating sale prices.
Tip 2: Look for learning opportunities in your own backyard. Open the morning newspaper and choose an adventure for the day. See what is happening in your community; here are some ideas.
Visit the farmer's market to learn about vegetables. Take pictures and continue your research online or at the library. Then have your child create a presentation about what he/she learned.
Attend concerts in the park or other community music events. Inspire children to research and explore different types of music or the history of a specific instrument.
Encourage your child to design and implement a project or event in the community, e.g. a recycling project. This also provides a social opportunity if he/she engages other children in the project.
Tip 3: Embrace technology and create interactive projects and activities. Here are some ideas:
Involve children in digital storytelling, using computer-based tools (video, photos, and text. For instance, your children can use family photos and videos to tell a story about summer activities.
The perfect summer project for a child of any age is to research something that is of interest to them. For instance, a child can get creative taking photos, then research the topic online and build an interactive presentation. The added benefit is this can become a brag book for mom or dad or grandma.
Involve children in local geo-caching (high-tech treasure hunting) activities.
Tip 4: Focus on core competencies. Bookmaking is a great way to build reading, writing and research skills. Summer Camps are wonderful for kids because they help grow social skills and allow students to gain knowledge of a content area. Look for science and technology camps that engage students with hands-on learning projects such as bridge building, mouse trap cars and the construction and use of robots. Or do your own research and try these projects at home.
Tip 5: Balance academic and social engagements. Creative play type summer school doesn't just benefit children, but also provides insight to parents about how children learn.
Tip 6: Summer learning activities do not have to be expensive... public libraries have reading groups, and museums often have free admission days. Library clubs are great because they also offer a social component. Also consider virtual museums accessed on a home or library computer.
Tip 7: Be engaged. Not only can these activities help avoid the summer slide, but they also provide an opportunity to connect with your children during the summer months. When you find out what interests your child. build an assortment of activities based on those preferences. For instance, if your child loves dinosaurs, you can help him/her find books, museums and other activities that focus on dinosaurs. If the child is reading about dinosaurs, ask about the child's favorite dinosaur and why they chose that specimen. Explaining preferences and conversing about the subject can help your child build critical thinking skills.
Dr. Melodee Loshbaugh
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