While school is not in session reading skills and routine are essential
to setting your child up for success for the next year. Here are a few ideas so many parents have
shared with me and a few I have discovered through loving life with my two
children.
Allow children to help prepare meals.
I know what you are thinking, yeah right! It took me a while to get used to my kids
helping with dinner. However, it does
get easier. They learn a routine to
prepare the table (children as early as 3 can help with this), prepare drinks,
prepare salads, cooking dinner and cleaning up afterwards. Some parents overlook these details because
let’s face it, we can do it quicker and more efficiently. Give them some time they need to be taught to
be successful in this area. Cooking is
so amazing to help support reading informational text and incorporating math
skills. My second grade child works with
measuring cups as she deciphers the difference between ½ teaspoon and ½ cup of
an ingredient. It is amazing how
involved boys and girls can get when allowed to help in the kitchen. Cupcakes are my favorite! Once kids get involved in helping cook, they
can read through cook books and create shopping lists for dinners they would
like to make. I’m sure if you have a
picky eater they might be more inclined to eat a dinner they investigated and
helped to prepare.
As far as math skills, you would
be surprised how far practicing math facts will go to helping your child in
math class next year. There are multiple
apps for different devices as well as math drill computer games. If you don’t have computer access,
traditional flash cards go a long way and they can be found in every Dollar
Store in the school department. Lower grades addition and subtraction facts and
third grade and above drill those multiplication and division facts. These skills are the foundation of all word
problems and everyday common sense math problems.
Get them a watch! Sure, find a
$5.00 watch that is water resistant and take your watch off. Ouch!
This is a killer for me. I
realized I look at my watch every couple minutes. It’s great for explaining length of time for
kids. For example, “you have 10 minutes
to straighten up your room,” “10 minutes
till we leave for the grocery store,” or “at 3:00 we’ll leave for the
park.” Teach students to manage their
time wisely. Also, if your child is
really into TV shows, video games, and computer time a watch is a great way to
help them manage their own time wisely.
Multiple studies have proved the decrease in attention electronics can
encourage in young students. Summer is a
great time to play outdoors and explore!
Talking and sharing stories with
older family members. Possibly helping
them or doing small chores for them during the day. This is wonderful for listening and
comprehension skills as well as helping family members. I can think back to my own childhood as I
listened to my Great Grandmother tell stories and I fought relentlessly to not
wiggle in my seat. I appreciate those
stories now and recollect those stories even now to my own children. Kids love to hear stories. Have them write about their own summer and
share it with an elderly person. Most people that have the time to spare enjoy
listening to children share stories.
This really develops an important life skill, do you know any adults
that can’t listen to a conversation without butting in? (Giggle)
Local and some school Libraries are sometimes overlooked. Who doesn’t love a free book to borrow? Many of these libraries also have reading
programs and/or themes to further inspire your young learner.
Let’s not forget the importance of fitness and arts! There are multiple organizations that provide
summer programs for sports and fitness.
These not only help children to make healthy life style changes but
keeps them communicating with children their age, adults and pushing their
limits. Art programs inspire creativity
and allow children to continue growing on their level. There are paint programs, pottery, building,
design, creating web-pages, blogs, and more.
Building routines not only helps you out as a parent, but cultivates
children to gradually be responsible for their own life and routines. Waking up and brushing their teeth
automatically. Putting clothes in
appropriate places when dirty, clean, or wet.
Helping with regular household chores.
No, this isn’t child slavery; it is helping the family be able to spend
more time together when mom or dad isn’t continually cleaning. Children can take out the trash, help clear
the table, load and unload the dishwasher, fold towels, put away clothes, sweep
or run the vacuum. Kids love the chance
to have more responsibility and eventually (about the teenage years, or so I
hear) that will to want to help gradually leaves. LOL
Some kids might be apprehensive to so anything that resembles schools
work. That becomes an opportunity to
share with them the successes they have had and explain how they will be
maintaining skills to start the year off right.
Much of their enthusiasm begins with the adults around them. It might take a little prep work and energy
to get them interested, however, once they get going in a direction they love
they are sure to keep the learning juices flowing.
~ Tara
