Summer is a time to relax from the structure of school, to play, and grow. While we do not have set hours to learn, we still have plenty of opportunities to encourage it during the summer. Kids are like sponges and love to learn, especially when it can be fun. Here are some ideas to help foster growth this summer.
Encourage Practice
Quite possibly the best way to practice our skills this summer is read. Challenge your kids to read different genres from historical fiction to biographies and everything in-between. Well-rounded readers tend to have increased vocabularies as well as a greater joy for reading.
Join a Summer Reading Program
Most libraries have a summer reading program that you can enroll in for prizes. If you don’t want to join the local library’s program, consider creating your own incentive program for reading.
Workbooks and Websites
If your child’s school is anything like mine, then they probably sent you home with a list of websites for your kids to practice what they had learned in school this year.
If you want to avoid the computer, then pick up some workbooks that you can work on.
Look for Areas of Struggle
Completing workbook activities is one way to continue learning during summer break, but is not the only way. Another great idea is to find areas your child might be struggling in and take some time to help them with those challenges. This does not have to be academic struggles either. Your child could be struggling with taking turns or expressing their feelings. Whatever their struggle is find teaching moments to help them overcome their challenges.
Explore Interests
If your child enjoys science, then find some fun science experiments online or take them to the Discovery Center of Idaho or to check out the butterflies at the Boise Zoo. Whatever your child is interested in, find ways to explore that interest through fun projects or outings. Learning does not need to be just about books, but true learning comes from exploring and encouraging a child’s interests.
Look for Creative Ways to Teach
We understand that not all kids learn the same. For some the idea of a workbook or a website might seem like a chore. This is where creative and research can really help your student learn. This article is a great resource tool for younger children to learn math concepts while having fun. It includes games and what math concepts you are working on. It is so fun they won’t even know they are learning math.
Learning and growth for your child can come from many sources. Traditional learning does not always have to be the standard. Just like schedules have started to relax during the summer so can the learning. Make it fun! Make it memorable!
