Summer Learning Activities

We have been waiting for the good weather to come to Maine. It finally arrived yesterday although next week's forecast is not that great. I have been gathering together ideas for summer learning activities over the past few months primarily by using Google Alerts which sends me links to articles and blogs about summer learning.I have reviewed them all and selected the best to share with you.

Summer Doesn't Mean It's Time to Stop Learning
It is necessary to mention that students are in school approximately 180 days a year. That leaves 185 days that they aren't in school. Research shows that students can loose 2.6 months of progress in math and one month in reading over the summer. the decline of reading skills over the summer can add up to two years by the time the child reaches middle school. (see blog post titled, "Stopping the Summer Backslide"). The notion that students need a break from learning over the summer doesn't serve the child well although it may be easier on the parents. A 1978 study, "Summer Learning and the Effects of Schooling" found that students' participation in library summer reading programs were key to getting children to read over the summer. Summer reading programs were found to be more predictive of vocabulary gains than attending summer school. (Lindhal, 2001)http://ideas.repec.org/p/iza/izadps/dp262.html

Reading and Writing Activities
Parents, encourage our children to read. Your encouragement is essential and more effective than any prize that you could give them. Check your local library for their summer reading program.You can work with your child to build a family tree. They will learn important research skills at the library and on the internet. Genealogy makes history lessons come alive in a very relevant way. Write a travel journal, real or imaginary. Research interesting places to visit. Schedule time to read aloud to family members. Take turns reading a book that everyone in the family will enjoy. Play word games in the car or at home. Scrabble, Boggle, and Quiddler are popular word games.
Check out the National PTA reading resources pages at www.pta.org. Read, Write and Think, http://www.readwritethink.org/beyondtheclassroom/summer/ has booklists, podcasts, videos and activities organized by age for reading and writing activities for summer vacation. Join the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge,read books, play games and earn points. http://www.scholastic.com/summerreading/


Math Activities
Playing math games is a great way to keep your child involved in math over the summer. Cooking with your kids teaches them understand and work with measurements and fractions. They can cut a recipe in half or double a recipe to get a real live look at how proportions work. When your in the car make a game out of practicing math facts. Add and subtract numbers on license plates, figure change by counting back, estimate tax and tips, exchange currency, compute batting averages are fun and practical activities. Play Sudoku.

Science Activities
For science activities visit the NASA website, http://www.nasa.gov/home/, Boston Museum of Science, http://www.mos.org/. Museums, zoos, aquariums have summer programs and learning opportunities for children.

Learn a New Language While Having Fun
Sign your child up for music, art, dance, cooking classes taught in another language. This gives them the opportunity to learn another language while doing something that they enjoy.

Gifted and Talented
Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth has openings in their summer programs.
http://cty.jhu.edu/
MIT Summer Programs
If you'd rather study the human genome or build a robot than master the finer points of archery or memorize this year's summer TV reruns, we've got the programs for you:

MIT's residential summer programs offer a great way to keep your brain fizzing happily, get a feel for what it might be like to attend MIT for real, and meet a lot of other young people who also get a kick out of using their heads.http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/before/summer_programs/

Camp Mom, Projects to Do at Home
http://www.blisstree.com/playlibrary/5-fun-summer-projects-for-kids/

Summer Bridge and Rainbow Bridge resources will help parents keep PK–8 children active and learning during the summer and all year long. Workbooks, activity books, and games will enrich children’s learning experiences and keep them interested and motivated.
http://www.summerbridgeactivities.com/index.htm

Camp Mom,Weekly Activities Planned by a Mom of Six
http://www.lifeasmom.com/2009/05/camp-wannalaffalotta-stay-tuned-for.html

Enjoy the summer, learn something new and exciting, read and practice math, get outside, enjoy with weather and be active.