Saint Paul Public Schools
 | Family & Community Involvement > Resources |
Get the Most Out of Summer Learning For ALL kids: More reading leads to better reading. Get your child involved in the Public Library summer reading program. Establish a summer family reading goal for everyone in the family. Recent studies show that children who read five or more books in the summer tend not to loose ground in their reading skills. Make a game of seeing how many words you can use to describe a day at the beach. At a ball game, use math to keep score or compute standings. If traveling, stop at historic sites or nature centers. Practice measurement on the area of a garden or the height of plants. These experiences build vocabulary, which in turn helps kids become better readers. If your child attends summer school : Even though it is summer, your child needs to know that you continue to expect their best efforts. Don’t think “it’s only summer school,” and allow your child to skip days. Attendance is the biggest contributor to success. This is a challenge on long summer evenings, but kids who are nodding off in their seats won’t benefit from summer school. With only 5-6 weeks, there is no time to wait. Call or stop in the first week to let the teacher know how they can reach you if they have concerns, to find out what to expect in the way of homework, and what you can do to help your child. In summer the temptations to play are great, and kids need exercise and playtime. That makes it all the more important to schedule time – for example right after school, or right after supper – for homework or extra practice of skills. Allow 20 – 45 minutes, depending on the child’s age. Try asking “Show me an example of something you learned,” or “Tell me about the book you are reading at school.” |