Escaping the summer doldrums

As the summer drags on, it can be hard for even the most dedicated parent to make learning fun for their student, especially if your student does not enjoy school. In fact, after countless fights about academic or learning activities, it might be hard to remember why you started this plan in the first place.

In case you have forgotten or just need some encouragement, here are some summer learning tips for parents.

5 Tips for Beating Summer Boredom

-          By incorporating reading and math into your student’s life daily, you will help them keep the skills from last year and learn new ones. Older students can write a blog, practice making a budget, or help with cooking to make these skills relevant to their life.

-          Stick to a routine. It is easy to sleep in and take days off from your schedule during the summer, but when you stick to a routine there will be less conflict over the assigned activities and it will be easier for your child to return to their school year routine in the fall.

-          Consider summer tutoring. Tired of being the bad guy? Get outside help from a tutor to encourage your child academically.

-          Stay physical. Healthy, active students perform better in the classroom overall, so turn off the television and computer and do something outdoors.

-          Try something new with your child. This is a great way to bond and to learn with your student, so look for a free class at the local community center or library and sign up.

When all fails tutoring may be able to help.

Tutoring can be a great way to break up the summer and keep your students sharp.  To learn more about tutoring services in Potomac, MD please contact us today.

This summer, it seems like everyone is tightening their belt and working hard to make each dollar go a little farther. Museum and park admissions might be too much to be a regular part of your summer budget, but that doesn’t mean that you have to miss out on learning opportunities.

4 easy and free ways to keep your student learning all summer long:

-          Write a letter. Writing weekly is a good way to maintain and build writing skills over the summer, so encourage your child to write to the grandparent, cousin, or sibling at camp each week.

-          Volunteer. Students who volunteer have been shown to have less behavioral and learning problems than students who do not, so get your child involved in something that they will enjoy. It’s a great way to encourage values, build character, and lead to better academic performance.

-          Game night. Break out the board games – classics like Monopoly or new ones like Cranium, it doesn’t matter as long as there are math, logic, and/or verbal skills involved. Tired of your games? Talk to other parents about trading or loaning between families.

-          Meal planning. Choosing menus, making grocery lists, and helping to prepare meals are great activities for staying mentally sharp over the summer and even learning new skills.

Although the days are longer during the summer, this might not mean that you find yourself with extra time to help your child get back on track or stay on track academically over the course of these warmer months.

Between work and summer activities for multiple children, it can be hard to find time for the academic or learning activities you planned to do. However, this does not mean that you need to let summer learning slide entirely this year.

3 ideas for summer learning

Try some of these ideas to bring math and reading into your summer without a major time commitment:

-          Visit a museum online – many museums now have extensive web pages devoted to their exhibits so your children can see the paintings and artifacts when the museum is closed

-          Play spelling and math games in the car – with 10 or 15 minutes between errands or during the ride home from camp, you can work on spelling and math skills with your child. If you do this on each ride to and from camp, your child will be spending 2 and a half hours each week practicing the skills they need to excel in school.

-          Make it real by using money to illustrate concepts. Students are fascinated by money, so use real world examples to illustrate math when they lose interest in other games. For example, ask them how many of a given item at the grocery store they could buy for five dollars or to calculate the tax on that item.

Tutoring may be able to help

Tutoring is sometimes an option when your schedule as a parent makes it difficult to stay consistent with these types of activities.  To learn more about tutoring services in Fairfax, VA please contact us today.