Schools Out Summers In Now What

Writen by Andrew Serrano

The end of the school year and the official start of summer both happen in June. What better time is there for a kid. Three months away from the daily rigors of tests and quizzes, school lunches, waking up early, and a structured schedule. Three months of sleeping in, playing whenever they want, and reading, watching TV and snacking on their own schedule.

However, during these three summer months of inactivity their brain is not doing much of anything. This makes it all that much harder to transition back into school each September. And we've all been there, either ourselves or through watching a child transition into school. The first month back at school is when many children struggle to get their brains accustomed to learning and retaining new information.

The summer months are a perfect opportunity for parents to help keep their children's brains active. Learning over the summer does not have to be boring by any means. Nor is it meant to be a chore, or a form of punishment.

Parents, it's time to make learning fun! Take reading for example. The summer months are a perfect time for families to get together to read and discuss the same book. There are many things you can do if your child is not showing interest in picking up a book.

You could try turning it into a game to see who can read the most pages (or the entire book) the quickest. If the child does not seem interested in beating you to the end of the book you could try finding a book that has been turned into a movie. If your child has already seen the movie, try telling them how the movie didn't everything that has happened in the book. Also, if there is a movie your child wants to see, and it was based on a book, try to get them to read the book first. After having both read the book and seen the movie there can be a family discussion on which one you liked better.

Speaking of games, puzzle and coloring books are another fun way to keep children's minds active for hours at a time. Many different skills can be learned from these books too: coloring withing the lines, spelling, grammar, and much more.

With so many things to choose from, children should have no trouble keeping active during the summer months.