For the past two and a half weeks, my son has been out of school and enjoying his summer vacation! Thank goodness for great weather for outdoor play and lots of World Cup activities to do. Nevertheless, the days are long and I have to make sure my soon-to-be second grader is keeping his academic skills sharp so he is ready for school in September.
Summer is a nice break from school but it doesn't mean your child has to stop learning. If you don't want your child to miss a beat, have them practice and do a little from the list below every day. Even if they do 20 minutes of each subject, that is less than two hours a day of learning! Remember to keep things balanced. It's okay if your child read for an hour on Monday but didn't get to read on Tuesday. In our home, we pick two or three subjects a day and focus on it for a little longer than 30 minutes each.
Here are 25 ideas to help avoid summer learning loss (the links provided are helpful too):
Keep reading.
Take trips to the library or book store frequently for fresh literature ideas.
Start a book club in your family. Kids love to see their parents read (especially the same book)!
Find kid-friendly comic books and magazines for a nice variety.
Join a reading program!
Reference books are always cool.
Write everyday.
Help kids keep a daily summer journal or diary.
Send postcards or letters to friends and family.
Make your own family newspaper.
Spelling test!
Write a story or book.
Math is fun
Play Math Bingo.
Allow Math Apps.
Follow a recipe.
Do fun word problems aloud (great on road trips)!
Sort your piggy bank money and take a trip to the bank.
Art/Music
Outdoor messy art: From sidewalk chalk to lots and lots of paint!
Play music while building with LEGOs, cardboard boxes and blocks.
Introduce new music genres to your kids.
Create a stage and perform a favorite song.
Open an art gallery with your best work. Don't forget the hors d'oeuvres!
Language practice
Play bilingual board games!
Make it a Spanish Summer.
TV time only en espanol.
Read, write, math, art/music...in Spanish.
Invite Spanish-speaking friends over for a play date!
Keep checking back for new posts with the best educational ideas! We hope that you have a great summer!
