Keep Their Minds Active During Summer Break
Now that the kids are out of school, studying and keeping their minds active is the last thing they want to do. It is up to you, the parenting to make sure your kids don't forget everything they learned this past school year over the course of the next weeks. Here are some ideas on what you can do to help keep your child's mind active during summer break.
A Reading List
You can compile your own reading list, depending on your child's interest, or use one that's already made out for you. Your child's school may have a list for each grade. Most libraries will also create lists full of fun and interesting books for each age group. Of course, you can also search for reading lists online. There are quite a few dedicated educators who take the time each year to create the list and post them to a website.
Whatever you do, make sure your child reads at least a 15 minutes each day. If you can find some interesting books, it should be no problem to get and keep him reading all summer long. Give your child the option to pick her own books as well. If you don't approve of her choices because the books are below her reading lever etc. compromise and let her pick a book of her choice for each one that you pick.
If your child isn't a strong reader yet, consider reading with her. You can take turns reading paragraphs, or she can read and have you close by to help with a difficult word.
A Talk With The Teacher
If you're not sure about what else you should be doing with your child over the summer to retain as much learning as possible, talk to your child's teacher. Most teachers are more than willing to help you and are excited to find a parent who takes a personal interest in their child's education.
A teacher can give some suggestions on topic matters and what activities you can incorporate into your child's summer days. She may also have some additional worksheets and assignments for your child to work on during the summer break.
Keep It Light And Fun
Above all, keep this extracurricular activity fun and light. This is your child's summer break and there should be plenty of time for fun and games. You can practice plenty of math by asking your child to help you cook or taking him to the store with you.
A treasure hunt is another great way to turn learning into fun. Let's say you want your child to practice math. Make out a set of index cards with math problems and hide them throughout the house. Evey time your child solves a problem correctly, he gets a hint on where the next problem is hidden. Of course there should be some sort of treasure after the last clue.
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