Summer Time And The Living Is Easy
…a little too easy, if you ask me. Many parents see their child’s summer break as a cessation of learning. The summer days are often spent on vacation, lazing about the house or whining about how boring life is. While there is definitely a portion of the break that should be used for these three things, there seems to be a lack of preventative maintenance in education. Did you know that most (publicly schooled) kids start the school year, academically farther behind than they did at the previous year’s dismissal? That is just sad. We spent a pretty penny at Sylvan Learning Institute last summer, just to make sure that one of our kids was up to par, come fall. I knew that our brand of summer studies would not be enough to make up for the rough year that he had, so we did what was necessary to help him out. It was money well spent. He is having an awesome year, academically!
My point is, that parents need to realize that summer break needs to include some type of bridging activities, to ensure a smooth transition to the next grade level. I know this sounds easy, but may be harder to execute. Here at our house, I have devised a little plan to keep it interesting for our kids. It is a simple, but effective rewards system. Here are the things that I’ve incorporated into our summer program. This system can be altered to suit the age of your own children (mine are in K-3rd.)
- I purchased bridging workbooks from an educational store. Some teachers will send home practice books for free!
- Each page that they complete, will be worth a “Summer Buck” (see explanation below).
- I purchased play money, marked “Summer Bucks” and some cheap items that the kids can buy with their earned “money.” I will open up a Summer Store at the end of each week, so that the kids can use their money to shop.
- Every two weeks, we will take a field trip, in order to instill culture and give them something to look forward to. Check your community newsletter for great field trip locations in your home town, or search the web! We will also do summer related science experiments that I found online. Kids love hands on learning.
- I have devised a schedule, much like our school’s, complete with recess and dismissal. This way, their routine stays fluid. Kids thrive on stability and routine. Summer schedules often rob them of these things and behavior can change for the worse.
- We are going to take a vacation. The books will come with us. Breaking habits does not sit well with my children.
- At the end of summer, the kids will take a final exam. When they pass (I say this with confidence) we will pick a fun activity to celebrate their hard work!
It is my sincere hope that the kids have a fun summer, but not at the cost of their academic welfare. Summer can be both fun and educational. Parents who have to work, can enroll their kids in summer programs that offer this kind of supplementation, or they can do the work after they get home. There is simply no excuse for letting a child fall behind during the two months of vacation time. With the right tools and some effort, your kids can have a summer full of fun and learning!
Kadi….thats great! Being a teacher, I am thrilled that you work so diligently during the summer! You get an A Plus from me!
What a great idea!! I just do not have the discipline with MYSELF to follow through, you know? That is honestly the main reason I do not try to homeschool. I could totally see myself saying “ah…you don’t want to today? OK, neither do I”…I suck that way:(
That’s another great thing I love about homeschooling. People ask “when does he get out of school?” and I answer “never!” HA!