It's one of the most common questions teachers hear from parents: how do I ward off the summer knowledge drain in my children? Parents want to engage their children in grade-level learning so that their kiddos are rarin' to go come September. Grade-level workbooks don't work well for all children-- most will balk at the idea of seeing page after page of equations and quizzes. (Caveat: some kids love these books. I did as a kid-- I would enthusiastically make my way through them, revelling in my self-directed journey. So if your kids are like me, it's definitely worth hitting them with some major academics. But please make sure that they really want to do it before expecting them to do it.) For all the other children, here are some ways to engage them in authentic learning opportunities. 1. Writing Letters As a teacher, I have used this as an authentic writing prompt for years. Children's writing needs to have an authentic audience in order to be meaningful and motivating to them. Children can either print a letter with pen and paper, or they can type (or use voice-to-speech) on computer. They can even use mom's or dad's email address for immediate delivery and response. Who they write to will largely be up to the child. Family members or friends make great options for recipients. You can even get creative, and suggest to your children to write to the creator of their favourite show, or the author of their favourite book. You can even have them write a letter to you-- for example, if they want a later bedtime over the summer, have them write a letter that outlines their arguments. (Bonus points if they can do a presentation to you for what they want!) 2. Dice Games When a child reads a die, if they can do it without counting the dots, it is called subetizing, and it is an important math skill. Dice are a wonderful math tool, since they are intrinsically motivating and fun for children. Yahtzee is the classic dice game, combining subetizing skills with addition and basic multiplication, and some probability as well! Tenzi is another dice game-- you can buy a Tenzi game at any game store, or you can pick up some dice and find the rules online. There are many other dice games--pretty much any dice game will help develop math skills. 3. Card Games Some parents may balk at the gambling associations with card games, and if this is the case, you can purchase decks of cards specifically for certain children's card games (that way, any gambling connotations are removed). Otherwise, a regular deck of cards is all you need! Card games are especially great for the summer because you can play for hours and hours--cutting down screen time and developing social skills. Simple card games like war can be good for younger kiddos (or flash card war, if you have flash cards around), all the way up to trick-taking games like whist and cribbage for older children, and everything in between. Children can even play solitaire on their own-- they can learn to deal the cards without relying on the computer to do it for them! Cards are such a wonderful and diverse activity-- who knows? You may be a trend-setter amongst your neighbourhood children, and start up a card game trend! Card games are fantastic for a way for children to connect with older generations-- ask your parents or older family members to teach your children card games they enjoy playing. 4. Money If you haven't done so already, summer is a great time to experiment with giving your children an allowance. That way, they can budget for themselves to buy what they want. (Bonus: you as a parent get an easy out from the grocery store "gimme-gimmes!") Even a few dollars a week will help your child start to conceptualize money and budgeting. I know there are a lot of resources out there about how to start with allowances, but don't psych yourself out about the specifics. How much you give your child is less important than getting started-- five dollars a week or so is fine for your kiddo to learn beginning money concepts. An equally important money concept is your own household finances. If you haven't developed a household budget, there is no time like the present to get started. Involving your children in your own budgeting process is authentic and meaningful (and helps them understand the old adage, "You can't always get what you want!"). In the era of debit and credit cards, children may not understand basic transaction concepts, so it helps to involve children in family budgeting. Some parents may be uncomfortable sharing their finances with their children, and if you are uncomfortable with it, there are ways to engage without getting into specifics. How much does a house cost? How much does internet cost each month? How much does a week's worth of groceries cost? This type of thinking helps prevent the problem of young adult credit card debt-- a fresh-faced youngester moves away from home with a wallet full of plastic and no idea how budgeting works, and learns the hard way by ending up thousands of dollars in debt. Do your children a favour by being transparent about what things cost, and what it takes to save money. 5. Summer Reading Program Lastly, the Calgary Public Library runs a fabulous summer reading program. It's free and easy for children to get involved. Reading is one of the best things children can do over the summer-- it wards off boredom and keeps their brains active. Have your children choose their own books at the library. If you're worried that they are choosing books that are not challenging enough, you can encourage them to choose some more challenging books, or to alternate between an "easy" book and a challenging one. Ultimately, though, what you want to develop is a love of reading, so don't worry too much about the books they're choosing, as long as they can feel successful reading them. For reluctant readers, graphic novels or books with large text will help them feel successful (Mo Willems' work is always a good place to start). These are great ways to engage your children with motivating and meaningful opportunities for learning over the summer. That way, you won't have to worry about worksheets, and your kids won't even know they're learning!
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AuthorMs. Spray loves teaching and learning with her students. Archives
October 2018
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