Tips to Keep Learning Hot This Summer

The summer months provide a much needed break from the rigors of formal schooling, but transitions from school to summer and back to school again can be stressful for kids accustomed to a routine - not to mention the slip in academic skills.

Vielka McFarlane, a veteran educator and founder of the Celerity Educational Group, a group of charter schools in South Central Los Angeles, says parents have a big job over the summer months, but that the long break can provide wonderful opportunities for social learning, which means gaining knowledge and skills through experiences. Traveling and cooking are great examples of social learning—an essential component to education. Take an important concept in science curriculum: the freezing point of water. “How can a kid who has never seen snow understand this concept easily? But if you can see the various states of matter going up a mountain, that kid is going to grasp that concept a lot easier,” McFarlane says.

So, how do you help prepare your child for the school year to come, while providing social learning opportunities? McFarlane offers these tips:

Take Time to Reflect
At the beginning of the summer, be sure to reflect upon the last academic year with your child, and make a plan for the year to come. “Making a plan eliminates the fear of the unknown, and everyone likes feeling that they're in control.” Some point questions to keep in mind are:

• What was the best thing about this year?

• What were your successes and how do we line up more successes for the coming school year? For example, “This year you learned to write four-sentence paragraphs, but next year you will be expected to write eight-sentence paragraphs. How will we get ready for that?”
• Be sure to ask a lot of “Why” questions. For example, frame an issue that was faced this year and then ask “Why?”

McFarlane says parents should be sure to keep this conversation simple. “There's a lot going on at the end of the year. If you talk too much they will get overwhelmed,” she said. Discuss this plan again just before the school year begins.

Make Conversation
Summer provides some great down-time in which to open up the lines of communication with your child. Even simple questions at the dinner table, such as “What did you learn today?” can create opportunities for learning outside of a textbook. McFarlane says it's easier than parents think to tie conversation into the state standards. “A lot of info can apply to the standards, and you don't have to be a college grad,” she says.

Share Your Passions
This is a great time to share your own interests with your child whether that be cooking, fishing, knitting, woodworking, or traveling. Make sure to give your child responsibilities during these activities to truly allow him to dig in. If you're cooking, allow him to measure all the ingredients and read out the recipe. If you're traveling, let him do some of the trip planning. McFarlane says parents would be surprised how these activities have practical application to the curriculum.