Summer Learning

Summer is fun, but often your child starts to forget what they learned in school. You can help exercise your child’s brain by taking time out of your summer schedule for some skill building.

• Reading – 30 minutes a day of reading will keep your child’s mind sharp and their reading skills even sharper. Relax the reading rules and let them read something fun and out of the normal. Let them stretch their skills by reading up a level or let them read down if they just want to get through reading time and back outside to play. Just keep them in the habit of reading so it’s not a shock to their system when school starts.
• Indoors and Air Conditioning on Hot Summer Days – the museums are air conditioned and not so crowded during the summer. It makes summer a great time to visit. Avoid the crowds, keep cool and exercise your child’s brain.
• Pick a Number/Any Number – to practice math skills establish a number of the day and do activities around the number. If the number is five let them have five pieces of candy for the day. Challenge them to jump rope five times or throw an imaginary tea party for five guests. You get the picture and so will they with this number and counting reinforcing activity.
• Study Nature – it’s summer time and being outdoors is what summer is all about. Take a nature hike. Let your children spot animals and look them up on the computer when you get home to find out all about them. Let them pick flowers or capture butterflies or fireflies. Get a book from the library that tells all about the animals or plants you saw on your hike.