Parents can ensure their children don’t fall behind in school by providing fun activities through which they can continue learning during summer vacation
For most children in Canada’s public schooling system, summertime means a break from school and a chance to get out and play. And while all school children deserve a break from school after a long academic year, there is an inherent risk that comes along with children being on summer vacation. For many, summer break equates to a break from learning. As a result, many students end up struggling in the following school year because they have forgotten a lot of what they learned in the previous year or were not well-enough prepared to meet the challenges of the upcoming year.
It is the responsibility, then, of all parents and guardians of school-aged children to make sure that they can continue their learning well into the summer months. This way, students can come back to school feeling confident and ready to take on the challenges of the academic year. Of course, many parents and guardians have a hard time reaching a comfortable and stable balance between allowing their children to have a fun and exciting summer and requiring them to continue with their education. What many do not realize, however, is that it is possible to keep kids learning all summer long without making them sacrifice fun in the process.
Take Regular Trips to the Library
If you are looking for a free option to keep your child learning through the months of summer, consider making weekly trips to the library, where you can check out books for free. This is a great way to keep your children reading and building their vocabulary while also allowing them to explore some of their own interests. For example, if your child loves to spend his free time skateboarding, take a trip to the library and allow him to check out some books on the history of the sport or on various skateboarding techniques.
Likewise, libraries often offer programs and other fun events during the summer that can allow your child to meet new people while continuing his or her learning at no cost to you.
Visit Museums and Zoos
Encourage Children to Read Newspapers
There are sure to be plenty of local, national and even global events that will occur over the summer and will likely be discussed in your child’s upcoming school year. You can keep your child up to date on these current events by subscribing to a newspaper or checking out free online editions of local newspapers. Have him or her choose a few articles that are of interest and read them each day. At the end of the day, ask your child to tell you about what he or she read and what his or her favourite article was. This is a great way to keep your child reading while allowing him or her to stay informed about the world in the process.
Overall, keeping your child learning during the summer does not have to be a difficult process. In fact, by following some or all of the above tips, you can make it fun for everybody involved. What other summer learning activities do your kids love?