Tips for Parent to Help Their Kids Over The Summer Months
1st and 2nd Graders
About 15 minutes a day should be spent on reading and/or writing for 1st or 2nd graders. Writing involves re-reading and decoding sounds, so they are practicing reading while writing. Reading time can be spent independently reading, reading to a sibling, buddy reading (reading to a favourite stuffed animal), reading aloud to mom and/or dad, choral reading (where a sibling reads one page then the child reads the next, taking turns each page), peer reading (where each child reads a book or portion of a book to another child). This would work great for multiples! Struggling readers may need to spend an extra 5-10 minutes reading so that they do not regress over the summer break!
Math is utilized daily for these kids! This age group should spend 10-15 minutes a day on math. Review with them adding/subtracting. Get some flash cards and practice with them. Have them practice telling time and practice writing any numerals that they sometimes get reversed. Ask them questions that require them to think through math solutions. For example, if the time is on the hour, tell your child, "We are going to the store at 3:00. How many hours until we leave?" Or, "We need 10 potatoes to go in with the roast. I only have 7. How many more do I need?" "We are leaving to go on vacation in one week. How many days is that?" All these type of questions help build their critical thinking skills.
Upcoming 3rd-5th Graders
About 20-30 minutes a day should be spent on reading and writing. Most students this age would much rather spend time reading than writing. I have a daughter going into 5th grade. I have told her that she has an assignment for me over the summer. Her assignment is to write me a good piece of writing once a week during summer. I will give her a folder with loose leaf paper in it. I will her tell her that I would like for her to write down some of her memories of what goes on this summer. It can be about anything she wants. My only requirement is that she has to have an entry once a week and that she has to reread/fix any errors she sees.
I will read her writing and see if there is something we need to review in her writing. I just mention it to her, but do not correct her work. It will be up to her if she wants to fix it! I don't want to turn her off to the writing practice. If you notice mistakes in writing you should only mention one or two things. More than two items that need correcting can make them frustrated and unwilling to write. I tell her that I am going to put it in her scrapbook for her to look back on when she grows up!
Math for this age group needs to be around 15 minutes a day. This age group needs to review: multiplication, division, fractions, mixed fractions, place value, and critical thinking questions. This age group needs practice with converting measurements, like in recipes. So, they could definitely help out around the kitchen!
MIDDLE SCHOOL
How much reading, writing, and math should middle school age children do over the summer to keep their skills sharp? The answer depends a great deal on the children themselves. Kids who are struggling in school are most in need of summer practice. They may also be the most resistant to doing anything that resembles school work during their months off. I would always advocate consulting with your children's teachers and school counselors if you feel they are in need of a formal, structured summer program. Your school system may have a summer school program.
Students with average or better skills and motivation should also engage in some sort of academic pursuits in the summer. Sign up with your local library reading program.
Children who love movies could read books that have been made into movies, then see the movies and compare them to the books. If your children play video games or watch television for a certain amount of time, they have to put in an equal amount of time reading. Middle school students should read at least 10-20 minutes daily. Any reading the children do should be accompanied by family discussion. Parents can ask their kids questions or have the kids devise their own questions or activities based on the books.
Many children enjoy making crossword puzzles and other bookrelated games and activities. Again, your children's school and your local library are excellent resources for summer reading help.
Math is another area that should not be neglected over the summer. Multiplication facts can be practiced with flash cards or computer games, but you can also have "no tech" oral fact practice in the car. There are ways to keep things light and fun. Real-world practice is always meaningful to children.
Middle school age children should be given more money than needed to go into the convenience store and buy a litre of milk, then allow them to decide what to do with the change. The math skills needed to decide whether to buy one small snack item each, split a larger box of donuts, etc., are valuable. You could do the same with a trip to the snow cone stand or ice cream parlor. Set a budget, then have the kids figure out the possibilities. How many toppings can we afford? Are we better off getting two small cones or one big one to share? Involve children in planning purchases: looking at sale ads and doing price comparisons, reading Consumer Reports to decide which bicycle is best, figuring out whether it's cheaper to use a coupon for the name brand or buy the store brand. For writing and language skills practice, let your child choose something they enjoy. Writing stories, newsletters, diary entries, television or movie scripts, plays, song lyrics, or raps. Playing with words is another way to engage kids in language.
Summer is a good time to let kids explore topics of interest in less conventional ways. Interview a neighbour about their interesting career. Participate in the local park's summer programs. Go to outdoor concerts and festivals. Plan the menu and budget for a summer picnic. Almost any setting can be educational if you direct kids to be observant and then talk to them about what they experience.
Toward the end of the summer, please ease your children back into a school day schedule! If they've been sleeping in all summer, it's important to get them used to getting up and dressed closer to the time they'll need to be out the door once school starts back up.
Additional Summer Learning Resources:
·
| 
