Re-engage Your Kid's Brain for the School Year
By GalTime.com
The summer is winding down and school supplies are already taking over Target and Staples stores. But other than getting all the fun gear the kids need for school - parents also have to get their children's brains in the right frame of mind - so to speak.
Bethlam Forsa of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (a Boston-based publishing/education company) offers some simple tips for parents to re-engage kids' brains for the school year - no extra budget required. Both parents and kids will have too much fun to realize there's learning involved.
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Follow your favorite sports team - Help kids track wins and losses, and favorite player statistics. Make a family chart with individual predictions on scores and game outcomes. An end of season analysis can show who had highest percentage of winning predictions. (LEARN: math, analytical skills, critical thinking, probability)
Plant a garden - Have children research what grows best in your neighborhood, offer proposals for what they want to plant and why, chart growth, and experiment with different watering cycles. (LEARN: math, science, reading, cause and effect, observation and recording)
Related: 9 Ways to Transition Your Kids from Summer Back to School
Go food shopping - Assign the challenge of buying food to feed the whole family lunch or dinner for $12. Can you decorate the table for under $2 more? (LEARN: problem solving, using data to make decisions, critical thinking)
Prepare a summer recipe/ Plan a family dinner - Kids can read cookbooks and search online for the best recipes. Then they can plan a family dinner and calculate how to double or triple the recipe depending on number of guests. (LEARN: working with fractions, reading and analyzing, understanding and following instructions)
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Read aloud - No child is ever too old to be read to. Pick books well above their reading level but in their interest zone and a regular time every night to read. (LEARN: vocabulary development, sophisticated language proficiency, background knowledge development, oral language and listening skills). Kids should also be encouraged to read to their parents. (LEARN: fluency, comprehension development, oral expression)
Visit local historical sight - Pick a local sight of historical significance (such as a park named after a famous resident) and have children research who the person was and what contributions he/she made to your local community. (LEARN: history, geography, reading and research skills)
What's your best 'stop the brain drain' tip?
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