Part of our summer includes supplemental learning materials that I use to keep my son ready for the upcoming school year. These resources are easy for the kids to use and take about 15-30 minutes sessions daily. One of the books Summer Bridge Activities includes a reward system and even has exercise activities that are tied in at the end of each day’s assignment. Some of them include all subjects depending on their grade level and others are specific to each subject. I break up the sessions into two or three areas during the day so that it’s more fun than work. I also make a challenge out of who can finish their work first. I usually sit with him and mimic the work and answer the questions on a sheet of paper or copy the sheet and do it with him. One of the best pieces of advice I received from my sister who is an educator and his teachers is to avoid the summer brain drain and slump. I have seen that these quick reviews and sessions can help keep our little kiddos ahead and ready for the upcoming school year.
Summer Learning Resources
One of the ways we keep him ready is by utilizing workbooks, packets that we create from his next grade level and above work, apps that are relevant to his upcoming grade, and specific learning videos. I use the Apps and online resources as a reward for completing his bridge activities and usually have him rotate between them during the week. Sometimes he will only use two or three of the apps for one week and sometimes he will go through all of them in one week and complete at least one or two learning games and activities all while having fun. I believe in using the workbooks and exposure over the summer as a bridge to get him ready and hopefully ahead of the school year. The resource and learning books I use are linked on my Amazon Store which you can link to directly. There are also some S.T.E.M. resources available on the link as well. Here are a few of the sites and apps we use.
ABCYya App – https://www.abcya.com/ABC Mouse https://www.abcmouse.com/Starfall ABC’s App – http://more.starfall.com/IXL –
https://www.ixl.com/Moose Math – http://www.duckduckmoose.com/Fabian Jr – http://www.funbrainjr.com/Fish School – http://www.duckduckmoose.com/PBS Kids – https://www.pbs.org/anywhere/home/Khan Academy – https://www.khanacademy.org/
Summer Fun Activities
Free Outdoor Fun
Making an effort to regularly have fun with your children can have a huge impact on their overall health and well-being. Research shows participating in fun activities will also help build trust, develop outstanding communication skills, and improve your relationships with the people who are also partaking. Here are some fun outdoor activities to consider doing with your child this summer.
- Free outdoor movies
- Free outdoor concerts
- Summer Festivals and Fairs
- Sprinkler Parks/Spraygrounds
- Free Swimming Pools
- Nature Centers
- Skateparks
- Playgrounds
- Smithsonian National Zoo
- The National Mall and Memorials
What are some of the ways you bridge your kids’ learning between the end of the school year, summer break, and the start of school for the next school year?
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