School is out for the summer and already I’ve heard my kids say “I’m bored” more than I want to. While many of us enjoy the break from homework over the summer, it’s important for young children to continue to practice math, reading, and spelling skills over the break. If they do not practice the skills, research shows that children will lose them. The skills that are most jeopardized over the summer break are greatest in math computation and spelling.
As a working mom, I have to get creative when it comes to providing my children opportunities to implement summer learning. And while I agree that everyone, especially children, need some time to decompress and give their mind a rest, there are some simple and fun ways in which you can give children an opportunity to practice their skills over the summer. My children will be in a summer fun camp with an emphasis on the word fun. Camp includes a daily field-trip to the movies, bowling, swimming, horseback riding, and more. While they may learn some science along the way, opportunities for practicing the critical areas identified above will not take place. It will be up to me to ensure that the learning continues. With that said, here is what I plan to do to ensure that when they return to school in August, they will do so with fresh and revived spirits, but also with a good foundation to start the next grade.
Simple Ways To Keep Kids Engaged and Learning During Summer Break
Summer Math Books
This is an easy but effective option. You can purchase a good book at your child’s appropriate age/grade level. Takes all the guess work out of what your child should be learning and practicing. I usually assign a few pages a day for the children to do while they are eating their afternoon snack.
Math and Sight Word Flashcards
I have been a big fan of flashcards and have used them with all my children. I have cards with sight words, addition, subtraction, and multiplication. When my children were toddlers, we used letter recognition cards to teach the alphabet. Using flash cards in the car during road trips is my favorite thing. Gives my kids a break from the electronics or movie. I play a little flashcard game with my six-year old, one that he usually wins. If he gets the card right, he keeps it, if he gets the card wrong, I keep. We add up the cards at the end to see who wins. This adds a small element of fun to the process but of course, it’s not necessary.
Read Along Books on CD
This is a great idea for the emerging reader. Our library has a great collection of these and we usually check out a few each week. Since we switch out the books often, my rising first grader and second grader stay engaged in a book often. I find they are more apt to read longer when they can listen to the words and whisper along with a CD. Of course, good old-fashioned books are also part of the routine.
Visits to the Library
Visiting the library over the weekend is great, especially during an extra hot or rainy day. Unfortunately, our library has undergone some recent budget cuts over the years but in the past, it would offer some fun, educational opportunities for children. Some of those opportunities included story time with a craft, science projects, or math labs to work on certain math skills. The programs were free and I loved them. It would be worth a try to check out your local library to see what programs are offered.
What do you do to keep your kids engaged over the summer?
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