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MAKE SUMMER A PRODUCTIVE TIME FOR LEARNING
By Dr. Raymond J. Huntington
The end of the school year may find your children exhausted from a
year of hard work and fixated on that great burst of freedom that
begins in June. If so, your suggestion that they consider some
“summertime learning activities” might not be well received. But
staying smart during the warm weather months doesn’t depend on test
taking and fretting over grades. With less structure and more
adventure, the following activities can turn leisure time into
learning time, preparing your child for challenges in the year to
come.
Look beyond the books at your local library. In most communities,
checking out books is just one of the many things you can do at your
local library. Many libraries are true resource centers, offering a
wide array of educational and cultural activities. Your child can
participate in group learning projects, learn a foreign language,
build technology skills and more. Young children in particular enjoy
participating in storytelling activities, while teens can use
libraries to learn about colleges and universities, including steps
to qualify for admission.
Most library staff members take a very active role in connecting
with readers by providing reading lists for people of every age and
using individual readers’ interests to recommend specific works.
Many librarians get special satisfaction by helping people find
“just the right book” or discover the exact research needed to
answer a question or complete a learning project. Most libraries
also have reading clubs; a great way for your child to discover new
books and discuss his or her impressions of them.
Several recommended reading lists are available on the Internet.
Start with the website utilized by your local school or school
district. These lists tend to be targeted to students at various
grade levels, and often correspond with books assigned during the
school year. The American Library Association and the Young Adult
Library Services Association also has a website featuring
recommended books for young adults at
www.ala.org/ala/yalsa .
When choosing books, create a mix of “easy reads” (books enjoyed
without a great deal of effort in comprehension) and along with some
more challenging books. These challenging books may be classics such
as The Call of the Wild, Wuthering Heights, Treasure Island, Little
Women, and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea – all of which are
entertaining while providing dense and more complicated prose.
Reading and effectively interpreting the historical and cultural
contexts of these more difficult novels builds real intellectual
muscle that carries over into other academic subjects.
Is your child is a reluctant reader? You might break down some of
the barriers with books on tape. This format can spark excitement
over the subject matter and encourage your son or daughter to
consider the written versions of similar books.
Encourage ambitious independent learning projects. If your child
enjoys writing and storytelling, consider journaling activities.
These can be as simple as keeping a diary or involve more inventive
tasks such as using prose, photography and illustrations to
chronicle summertime activities like family trips or camp. Is your
child is especially visual? Consider using a loose-leaf notebook so
that individual pages can be taken out and posted in family-friendly
areas such as the kitchen or playroom.
Scientifically minded students will find many exciting “science
fair”-type projects through library books and websites specializing
in sharing this type of information. One of the most comprehensive
sites is “Science Fair Central,” offered by The Discovery Channel at
http://school.discovery.com/sciencefaircentral . Another great
offering comes from the American Federation of Teachers, which
publishes the “Summer Learning Calendar” found at
www.aft.org/calendar.
Students who enjoy mathematics can test and strengthen their skills
through Figure This! (www.figurethis.org)
. Created by The National Science Foundation in partnership with the
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the National Action
Council for Minorities in Engineering, this initiative features
engaging mathematical challenges designed to be completed together
by families. Using colorful animated characters and extensive
“real-world” applications of mathematics, the Figure This!
challenges reinforce standards-based learning in algebra, geometry,
measurement, data analysis and probability. While they tend to be
“fun,” the challenges are also an effective primer for the rigorous
mathematics that most students will be required to master in school.
Introduce your child to the Sudoku puzzles that are published in
many newspapers and available in bookshops. These offer a
challenging, fun way to build mathematics, organizational and
critical thinking skills.
Volunteer. Help your child build a strong sense of self-esteem and
people-skills by lending a hand to those in need and engaging in
community service projects. Most communities offer ample
opportunities to volunteer through churches, schools, local
government initiatives and neighborhood associations. There are also
an abundance of well-structured volunteer programs in every state.
Visit the “Learn and Serve America” website, part of the Corporation
for National and Community Service, at
www.learnandserve.gov
for more information.
Turn to teachers and guidance counselors for help. After spending
many months with your child, teachers and guidance counselors are
good sources of information on summer learning activities that tie
into your child’s interests and aptitudes. They are also familiar
with the education standards for your school district and state, as
well as the most significant academic challenges your child will
face in the next grade. Talking with these educators can also give
you great ideas for summertime learning opportunities that
strengthen your child’s grounding in “the basics” and expand
horizons and expectations for the year to come.
Dr. Raymond J. Huntington and Eileen Huntington are co-founders of
Huntington Learning Center, which has helped children achieve
success in school for 28 years. For more information about how
Huntington can help your child, call 1 800 CAN LEARN. |
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