Schools out, now what?
Summer vacation is almost here, teachers are concerned about retention of skills learned during the school year and parents are faced with the " I'm bored attitude after a week or so."
As parents we greet summer vacation with many different attitudes from the parent who jumps for joy at the end of the school year to the one who feels like crying. Many of us have heard of the "perfect parent" (possibly an urban myth) who has lined up enrichment activities, art lessons, Latin tutors, has researched their vacation destination for educational opportunities, and will ban TV. For the rest of us we can incorporate a summer lifestyle that will easily keep our children ready to learn while having fun. Here are some ideas.
Keeping your child's brain ready to learn includes exercise, try jumping rope double Dutch style, run, swim, play basketball, hike, any exercise will help especially when done on a consistent basis. As Dr. John J. Ratey, a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School states; "The exercise itself doesn't make you smarter, but it puts the brain of the learners in the optimal position for them to learn."… Other studies tested the physical-fitness levels of 239 3rd and 5th graders from four Illinois elementary schools. Their findings, published last year in the Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, show that children who got good marks on two measures of physical fitness—those that gauge aerobic fitness and body-mass index—tended also to have higher scores on state exams in reading and mathematics. That relationship also held true regardless of children's gender or socioeconomic differences…
Did you know there are over 100 educational games on iLAND5.com to help reduce "summer learning loss"? It's free, fun and safe!
Our communities offer so many programs that enrich our children's lives over the summer. If your community does not have a program you like ask about forming one; it could be a club or part of a recreation center. Many neighborhoods form parent co-ops to share fun days.
Relax and check out even more ideas and sources on Safewave.org.Your child will have much to say when summer is over and their first assignment arrives "What did you do over the summer vacation".
For web site ideas and sources:
Check your local library. In addition to traditional story time, many librarians have become creative in developing free fun programs for kids of all ages.
America reads is filled with wonderful ideas to keep your child busy and happy as he learns over the summer. http://www.ed.gov/inits/americareads/summer.html
Call your local park and recreation centers, summer programs include tutoring, educational field trips and sports.
Start a kid's book club in your neighborhood.
Help your child start a collection - seashells, baseball cards, rocks (try to find the same shaped ones), comic books, bottle caps, buttons, leaves, etc. check out the Smithsonian education website for more ideas of fun collections.
Call your local government and inquire about volunteer activities for older children.
Check out ZOOM.PBS for lots of good ideas including ways to help others and volunteer over the summer
Listen to books on tape on car trips, most libraries have family friendly titles.
Visit a local museum, many local museums have a free or reduced fee admission day once a week or once a month.
Learn to play chess
Cook together one night a week. Check your local grocery store for ideas, some have free cooking classes or demonstrations designed for kids.
Swim lessons – some areas offer them for free
Keep a journal- young children may require adult help.
Buy a small disposable camera and take pictures of nature or people in your neighborhood
Make a scrapbook of what I did over the summer, include movie tickets stubs, photos of friends, party invitations, brochures of places visited etc. Write a short memory next to each item collected.
Check your local newspaper listings most communities have free outdoor concerts, plays and movies during the summer.
Vacation Bible Schools, Summer Bible Clubs, Kids Camps, Day Camps, etc. Many of these programs are free to the public.
If your child has special needs there may be free summer camps available (camp Boggy Creek is one) call your local chapter for more information.
Funology.com is a good source for - Mom I'm Bored, click on activity search for great ideas including experiments, jokes, riddles and magic tricks.
Here is a listing of Free Incredible Summer programs for teens, one even includes college credits!
Future Life Science Scholars Program Auburn University in Alabama pays, yes, PAYS students $3,000 to attend their Future Life Science Scholars Program from June 17-August 7. They are looking for students who are currently high school 10th through 12th graders or college freshman through juniors. The program is designed to link students with science mentors whose research focus closely coincides with the students' interests. Students also listen to lectures by world-class scientists. If your child is interested in science, this could be a wonderful opportunity. Selection for the program is based on transcript, personal essay, recommendations, GPA, class rank, and SAT or ACT scores. For more information contact Dr. R. Lishak, at (334)844-3928 or Email him at lishars@mail.auburn.edu.
Talented 11th grade art students might consider attending Colorado College's free two-week seminar. Artists in residence there provide college-level drawing and painting classes. Included are trips to draw and paint in the Rocky Mountains. Nanette Tirado at (719)635-3220 is the contact.
Mississippi University for Women -- yes, they do accept men -- offers students currently in the 11th grade the opportunity to earn nine hours of college credit in four weeks. The program is free. Criteria for selection includes application, recommendation, transcript, and a minimum 1130 SAT or 25 ACT score. Contact the Office of Admissions by Email admissions@muw.edu for information.
The Research Science Institute (RSI) at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology offers 11th and 12th graders six-weeks of lectures, tutoring, and off-campus internships in scientific fields. Participants may be matched with leading scientists from MIT and Harvard. Criteria for selection includes an application, transcript, essay, recommendations, and PSAT score. For information contact Ms. Maite Ballestero (703)488-9062 . MIT also provides 11th-grade minorities with a six-week introduction to engineering and science designed to help them develop scientific and engineering skills in a university environment. This program, the Minority Introduction to Engineering and Science (MITES) program, has the same criteria for acceptance as the RSI program. Information about the MITES program may be obtained at Web site http://me.mit.edu/groups/mites/.
Earthwatch provides 11th graders gifted in the arts or humanities opportunities to go to different laboratories and field stations in North America for two weeks of scientific investigation. Past sites have included Woods Hole, Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Kitt Peak National Observatory, and Stanford Human Genome Center near San Francisco. Criteria for acceptance is teacher or mentor nomination and application. For information contact Dee Robbins at her Web site: http://www.earthwatch.org
BIONR, a program at Florida A & M University, is a five-week intense science program for students currently in grades 9-12. Criteria for selection includes application, essay, recommendations, transcript, GPA, and test scores on the SAT or ACT. For information contact Edna Cofield or Dr. L. Padmore by Email at lpadmore@NS1-famu.edu.
Deborah Schechner
SafeWave™ VP Creative Development
Deborah.s@safewave.org
"Together We Keep Children Safe Online"
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