School's Out—Right?

If you plan to follow the teacher’s suggestions to have your children read, write and do some math this summer so they don’t lose ground (an excellent idea, by the way), you might run into some resistance from your “pupil”—even if she is bored. Go ahead and blame the mesmerizing power of freedom that summer days and evenings promise.

I remember trying to require my kids to do math work one summer and running into a brick wall.  While my daughter could have easily run a school at the age of 8, my son wanted nothing to do with paper and pencil tasks once school let out. Of course, I was presenting this summer “fun” in the form of a workbook, which I now know is the kiss of death.

Compared to home during the summer, school is a highly structured environment. For some kids, the lack of a routine during summer can result in anxiety, whininess or even anger.

Some routine is definitely helpful, but here are two things to keep in mind if you’re thinking of running your own summer school. Number one: if you can fool your child into thinking he’s doing something fun instead of "learning," you’ve struck pay dirt. Number two: children’s input is critical. Activities should revolve around their interests or ideas if you want them to willingly participate.

To do this you have to be smarter than I was. One easy way is to find a calendar, such as the one at http://www.sylvandellpublishing.com/SpecialDays.htm, that lists special days (e.g., June 30 is Meteor Day) and suggests activities. This gives kids a starting point to identify their interests. My guess is they’ll come up with their own ideas once they download some of the activities. The best part is they won’t even realize they’re getting reading practice and learning, too.

Tie your child’s interests to something she can do (e.g., search for directions on how to build or create something). Even if it involves a trip to a museum, have him look up the hours, address or route and figure out how long it will take to get there, how much it costs, etc.

If your child needs to practice fundamental skills, you may need to be more devious. I like the idea of sneaking in extra practice by making it a game. For example, you can do some random oral practice (What’s 7x8? What’s the capital of Vermont? Play the alphabet/sound game) while driving or waiting. Setting up some gentle competition (Are you smarter than mom? The babysitter?  Can you improve your record?) may help, although know your child—it could also backfire.

Most kids love to tape record themselves and listen to it. To practice reading more fluently, he can record himself reading part of a high-interest book using the computer, iPod or tape recorder. Challenge him to read with expression until it sounds like it could be a “real” book on tape. Record both of you taking turns reading it, or make it into a “Reader’s Theater,” where he and his friends take turns reading specific parts and narration.

Seamlessly integrating practice into everyday tasks works, too. Math skills run the gamut from computation to probability. Kids can measure out ingredients for a recipe. If you’re planning to buy something, they can measure the space to see if it will fit. If they build something, they’ll need to measure, too. For money practice, let them estimate how much money is needed to purchase various items. To learn change from a dollar, state an amount; if they give the correct change, let them keep it. They can record and then total up all the change they’ve earned.

If your kids are lucky enough to have access to an iPod Touch or iPad, there are all sorts of free educational apps for reading, writing and math practice.

We’re all motivated by getting better at something and being successful. A child who’s reluctant to read, write or do math may balk because she knows she’s not good at it. Help her see that practice makes a difference by comparing it to sports, music, dance or art. Keep track of her progress using a chart: how many pages read, rate of fluency, how many facts completed each day, etc. This is particularly motivating for those who struggle.

Slipping in some summer learning disguised as fun can actually become a habit once you find a few easy ways to do it. It will help your children maintain skills during what educators might call the drought of summer. And just maybe you won’t hear that “I’m bored” complaint as often.