Summer Learning: How to Continue the Learning Process
Set Goals
Pick two or three objectives dealing with skills or knowledge you want your child to maintain. Or, ask your child to create three to five goals for herself for the summer. You may also want to pick two or three objectives dealing with skills or information your child wants or needs to acquire to help pave the way to next year.
Identify academic goals by looking at textbooks or course outlines, and by talking to teachers. Ask them what skills are critical and which will ease re-entry into school next fall.
Identify social goals by talking with other parents, reading child-development books, and recalling the experience of other siblings. You may also ask teachers or guidance counselors about new social expectations or demands for the coming fall (e.g., if your child is seven, find out about typical eight-year-old behavior.)
Model Learning
Make sure that you model the practice of continuing education. Tell your kids what you are going to try to learn this summer. You might even want to actively involve them in your plan (charting your progress, passing out rewards when you reach your goals, etc.) Ask their teachers if they are taking summer courses or if they are going to try to learn a new skill. Sharing the successes of teachers, parents, and kids in the fall can be a fun part of the opening-week activities!
8 Printable Thank-You Cards for Teachers
