This post is sponsored by Bellevue Christian School.
As we approach summertime, here are seven ways to keep your elementary student academically-engaged and learning each day!
1. Stick to a schedule and normalize summer routines.
It’s easy to become a little lackadaisical in the summer months, sleeping in and enjoying those lazy dog days of summer. You’ve certainly earned this after surviving the end of this past school year quarantined. Yet children thrive on routine. The predictability helps them to feel safe in their environments and empowered in their choices. While they may say they like an unstructured day, they will actually benefit from having clear routines. Summer should be cherished and these routines should not be rigid by any means. However, having a set bed-time, a regular time to wake up and eat breakfast, along with regular rhythms of screen-time, play time, and outside time during the day will create stability for your child. You’ll also avoid the craziness of trying to reset bedtimes come August when it’s back to school season!
2. Read, read, read!
With the average summer break lasting about 70(ish) days, if your child reads 30 minutes every day of summer vacation, they will have read 35 hours. Paperback books are just fine, but when you can’t get to the library and your child has had enough of their own storybooks, Readbrightly.com recommends the following reading apps as best for children ages 4 to 8: Starfall Learn to Read, Homer, Bob Books Reading Magic, Hooked on Phonics, Reading Eggs, and Reading Raven. Emotions highly influence learning so remember to make sure to cultivate positive attitudes about reading – i.e., “We don’t have to read, we get to read!” Perhaps share a book or series with them that meant a lot to you as a child. You might find yourself reading Tuck Everlasting at bedtime as you tuck them in or adventuring with them through Narnia during afternoon snack. Inspiration for them and nostalgia for you – a true win-win!
3. Consider a tutor.
Perhaps your child is a math whiz, but struggles a bit with reading. Or they’re reading two grade levels above, but writing is a challenge. Hiring a tutor to work with your student one-on-one each week to target their specific learning goals could prove very beneficial. Maybe your sister’s a teacher or a family friend teaches the grade your child will soon enter. With the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers have learned to become virtual educators and if the pandemic extends through the summertime, your child could still receive virtual tutoring from high-quality (and now online-trained) educators in your area. Reach out and ask if they would like to tutor your student from 3-5 hours per week to start. The virtual component of tutoring also allows you to monitor the tutoring session and glean important practice strategies you can work on with your child throughout the week. If you prefer, you can also look for learning support from a designated tutoring center such as Sylvan which is offering live, online tutoring currently, or from an older sibling who could earn an allowance for serving as a tutor. Choose what works best for your family!
4. Create an ABC Countdown.
As a family, share the learning together with an ABC Countdown. You can create a countdown with a theme and involve your student in the planning process. For example, if your student loves history, create an ABC Countdown with a historical figure for each day: A is for Abraham Lincoln, B is for Barack Obama, C is for Cleopatra…and so forth! Research read aloud channels on YouTube for books that teach more about these figures. Make it meaningful for your student and they will run with it! The possibilities for an ABC Countdown are endless. When you reach Z, start over again with a new theme or have a “celebration of learning” in a way that is memorable for your family. Make it special!
5. Go on weekly virtual field trips.
Explore slime in space at the International Space Station, stop by the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, or“fly” to France to see the Louvre – all before lunchtime! There are tons of FREE virtual field trips available for little learners and their families to discover. Don’t miss the Seattle Aquarium with live harbor seals and sea otter cams (from 9am-6pm PST).Check out the Cornell Lab Bird Cams channel on YouTube, too. Let your child’s imagination soar!
6. Build an at-home Makerspace!
Boost creative and critical thinking by building a “Makerspace.” Never heard of it?Google it! Brooke Brown of teachoutsidethebox.com says that the purpose of a Makerspace is to “tap into individual students’ strengths and passions” through “open-ended,creative exploration.” Children get to explore hands-on STEM building at home! To get started, designate a table or desk where your student is allowed to“take chances, make mistakes, and get messy” – as Ms. Frizzle would say! Set out supplies such as wooden Popsicle sticks, straws, feathers, ribbon, yarn, toilet paper rolls (we have a lot of those now!), buttons, puff balls, paper plates/bowls/cups, plastic spoons, rubber bands, beads, and anything else you think your student will like! Don’t forget the tape and glue as well as markers and crayons to add colors and most importantly, their signature to their masterpiece and work of art! Remember, a Makerspace doesn’t have to be crafts-based; a table with Legos, dominoes, Jenga blocks, random game pieces, and other odds and ends can become an equally creative outlet for your child!
7. Choose activities that benefit the whole child.
If your state continues the stay-at-home order through the summer, keep your child’s social-emotional development strong by scheduling online virtual playdates with pals and former classmates. Nothing beats face-to-face interaction and being in the same room, but the next best thing is being able to see and hear each other virtually! Your child might enjoy having a tea party with a friend or going on a scavenger hunt with each other based on what each parent says to find (something that is a certain color, an object that starts with this letter, etc.). Remember that while academics are important and you want your child to maintain or gain new learning, empathy and character are vital for success in the classroom and eventually in their career. A true education is one of the mind AND the heart.
Most of all,don’t compare your summer to anyone else’s. You know what’s best for your child and you just did a phenomenal job finishing a marathon of online learning. Or you continued to rock homeschool like a boss. We know this pandemic will be one the history books record. If I have any say in their writing, I’ll make sure to dedicate an entire chapter to the moms. Keep being amazing and happy summer!
Colleen Weimer is a kindergarten teacher from the Pacific Northwest. She holds a Master’s degree in Teaching from Northwest University. Colleen loves Jesus with all of her heart, sunny Seattle days, volleyball, and iced chai lattes. She loves to share hope and encouragement on her blog: www.colleenweimer.com
We invite you to call the Admissions Office today at (425) 460-3300, apply online at bellevuechristian.org or email BCS at admissions@bellevuechristian.org. We are happy to setup a tour or tell you more about our special programs, Athletics, Arts and Academics. Bellevue Christian is excited to work alongside you to prepare your child to live faithfully for God.
