Getting Kids Back in the Groove

Summer goes by so fast doesn’t it? It’s time now for back to school sales and all that stuff.


Parents should not only think about assembling school uniforms and book bags and school supplies for school. They also should consider doing a few things to help their children get back into the school groove. Studies have shown that when children take the same test as soon as school is out and again at the end of the summer, on average they will score lower the second time around. Losses are most apparent with math computation and spelling. It doesn’t have to be that way.

Help your children get in shape to start school on August 27 by doing some of these fun activities at home.

Math

• Find age appropriate math games to play.

• Use car times to review math facts.

• Help your children find appropriate internet sites with math activities and games.

• Provide math workbooks and puzzles for car trips and idle time.

• Provide a daily computation problem that will challenge them. Post it on the fridge.

Reading

• Visit the library and help your children find books that interest them. It’s especially important to select some non-fiction books such as biographies or books on science.

• Have your children read to you at bedtime. Ask them to tell you in their own words about what they have read.

• Take your children to local museums or art exhibits and have them read up on the things they found most interesting there.

• Start family book journals. Encourage children to keep a record of what they read, the date, title and author and a 2 sentence description. Set goals for a number of books to be read per week or month.

• Let your children see you reading. It is hard for them to be enthusiastic about reading if you don’t model that behavior.

There is still a month before school starts but now is the time to sharpen the pencils and exercise the brain.