Summer learning
I think I mentioned when I attended the last Community Conversations that a parent had asked, with 4 district administrators sitting at the table, how to support her child's academic skills during the summer break. The best that came out was "tell him to read a lot". I was not happy with that lame answer and I wrote to Carla Santorno asking if the district couldn't make a sheet, for elementary, middle and high school with summer suggestions. She wrote back saying it sounded good and she would talk to the curriculum folks about it.
But I thought, we're a bright bunch on this blog and I know some of you teachers are here as well. Off the top of my head I can think of the following:
-Seattle public libraries always has a summer reading program with weekly prizes for elementary kids. Plus they have free programs for middle and high school kids (some with free pizza; I mention the food because if you have a kid in this age range, it matters) at different locations and at the Central Library
-Harry Potter - there will be a huge number of events for the release of the last Harry Potter
-Community centers - most usually have some fun events (movie night, game night). If it's a movie that came from the book, borrow that book from the library, read it together and see what you think is better. If it's a game night, bring some friends. Or, have your own. We have family game night about once a month with a couple of other families and play a lot of games that involve analysis (like Clue or Who Am I) or math (like dominos or Set). Kids love it.
What suggestions do you have to keep a kid's skills up over the summer? I'll gather 'em up and send them off to Carla to jumpstart this little project.
But I thought, we're a bright bunch on this blog and I know some of you teachers are here as well. Off the top of my head I can think of the following:
-Seattle public libraries always has a summer reading program with weekly prizes for elementary kids. Plus they have free programs for middle and high school kids (some with free pizza; I mention the food because if you have a kid in this age range, it matters) at different locations and at the Central Library
-Harry Potter - there will be a huge number of events for the release of the last Harry Potter
-Community centers - most usually have some fun events (movie night, game night). If it's a movie that came from the book, borrow that book from the library, read it together and see what you think is better. If it's a game night, bring some friends. Or, have your own. We have family game night about once a month with a couple of other families and play a lot of games that involve analysis (like Clue or Who Am I) or math (like dominos or Set). Kids love it.
What suggestions do you have to keep a kid's skills up over the summer? I'll gather 'em up and send them off to Carla to jumpstart this little project.
Comments
Read: No, don't tell your kid to read. You Read. Do you read for pleasure? Are you curious to learn new things? If the answer is no, why expect your kid to be?
Learn something new: Whether knitting, baking French Pastry, playing the harmonica or roller-blading, isn't there something challenging that you are curious to try? Something that will take effort, where your first results will probably disappoint you, but then, with a sense of humor, some perseverance and more effort you improve and are proud of your accomplishments. Want to raise a lifelong learner? Be one first.
Learn a new language or just brush up on the one you learned in high school. Seattle Public Library has most of the Pimsleur audio language courses. Listen in the car or while making dinner. Your kids are listening too. They will probably laugh and make fun of your accent, but hey, you are modeling how to ignore teasing and peer pressure. If they laugh, make them do the dishes or set the table. At least they will be productive while being entertained.
Read aloud to your kids. But do not read them Magic Tree House or Captain Underpants. Both these series are carefully designed to encourage kids to read. Parents saying "my kid makes me read Captain Underpants to him" is one of my biggest pet peeves. Dav Pilkey worked hard to make a book full of potty jokes that can turn a reluctant reader around. Don't ruin it. If your kid wants potty humor (and what kid doesn't?) then great, have the books available for them to look at and learn to read from. Instead, read books that you find interesting. Read books with depth, books where both parent and child are reluctant to stop for the night. Books you can talk about, predict what will happen next, wonder why the author included certain scenes or characters. Don't feel you have to have to confine this to quiet reading at bedtime. Earlier in the evening in the living room is better for more exciting tales. Allow kids to draw or knit or fiddle with legos while listening if they want. Yes, they are still paying attention.
Continue to read aloud as a family. Once you've covered the classic children's books, the Newbery winners, Harry Potter, keep reading together. Audio books are terrific for car rides. The library has a huge selection. Listen to books while you clean the house or iron. Have audio books available for the kids to listen to while playing with legos or drawing. Don't limit yourself to fiction.
Do not buy a video game console until your kids are proficient readers who enjoy reading for pleasure. Then, by all means indulge if you can and want to. Make sure to get extra controllers and games designed for multiple players. Play with your kids. Encourage them when they are frustrated to stick it out and figure out the solutions to puzzles, bosses or other stumbling blocks in games on their own or with minimal hints, not just finding the answer in a play-through book or using cheat-codes found on the internet. Play together. [We spent many evenings working through Myst, Riven, and Exile as a family. And the year we got obsessed with Morrowind --- each of us had a separate game going, but only one computer so we had to work on sharing and compromise --- was a great family bonding time. (and it required a lot of reading!)]
And now for a challenge: As long as other obligations are met (homework, chores, etc) don't always be limiting game time. Don't increase the allure by fighting all the time. Allow them to binge and get bored and realize for themselves that they've just wasted a lot of time. Because, hey! They can read! At that point all the books lying around will become much more desirable. I realize that might not work for everyone, but who knows? (It goes without saying children ought not have a tv or computer in their bedroom.)
Go to museums, the zoo and art galleries. But don't stay long on any one trip. Don't go because it's good for the kids, don't go to make your kids look at stuff or get disappointed because they didn't seem as interested in the animals as you'd hoped. Go because you are curious and leave before anyone gets bored. The Henry is always free for students and occasionally free for adults. The Frye is always free. The Children's Museum is overpriced and overrated in my book. Sure it has things for kids to play with, but does it have anything to engage adults? No.
Make oobleck. Again, make and play with it yourself, then allow the kids to have fun also. Don't force them to learn anything from the experience though. There are lots of books on simple science experiments or art activities that use inexpensive household items. Ask the librarian or comb the internet.
Math: Here's one thing that you might want to be more disciplined with. Ask your kids' teachers what they covered that year and what to practice. I would say that getting the multiplication tables down pat is key. Then much, much practice in factoring, prime factoring, leading to very fast and accurate computing of greatest common factors and least common multiples. I'm not sure when it is covered, but before starting high school math/science, all kids ought to be completely fluent in prime factoring and GCF/LCM.
Playing games, as Melissa said, is wonderful. Modify the rules as needed to make it fun. (untimed, less competitive, or whatever works for your family.) Set, Connect Four, just about any card game, Tilez!, Cribbage, etc. And sudoku, other logic puzzles. Jigsaw puzzles. Devote a corner of the living room to a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle. Then everyone except the current reader can work on the puzzle while listening to a book. King County libraries have jigsaw puzzles to borrow.
Ask questions, learn how to find the answers, listen to your kids' questions and teach them how to find the answers. Teach them what you find fascinating and help them explore whatever it is they find fascinating.
Teen Tix is a free arts-access pass that allows teenagers (13-18) to purchase $5 rush tickets to theatre, dance, music and visual art (http://www.seattlecenter.com/teentix/).
Seattle Center Academy (http://www.seattlecenter.com/academy/) offers two weeks of arts classes for 7th & 8th graders. Cost depends on need ($75-$500). Applications are due April 27th.
Studio Coyote offers lots of cool courses for 5th-9th graders, most are in the Central District. (http://www.coyotecentral.org/stud_c_des.html) “Coyote has a generous scholarship program & a system of barters & trades of items or services for our auction. This ensures that any young person interested in a course has the opportunity to enroll.”
SPS offers a summer music program for 4th-8th graders (3 hours/day for 3 weeks) (http://www.seattleschools.org/area/visualarts/summer/summer_music.htm)
All 3rd and 4th graders enrolled in Seattle Public Schools can take swimming lessons through Seattle Parks and Rec for FREE. (http://www.seattle.gov/parks/Aquatics/learntoswim.htm)
First Thursdays admission to many area museums is free (hours vary): don’t forget MOHAI, EMP, Wing Luke.
Maureen