My kids are taught in the public school system, which means that summer vacation is soon to arrive.
Now, most kids would want to use that time as a vacation from *all* learning. But just like a car that’s not being used, you need to start the engine every once in a while or it’ll lock up on you. So, with that in mind, I negotiate with the kids for some level of brain activity during the summer break.
I don’t ask for much, especially as my kids work hard during the rest of the year, but I do ask for some. And some, for this summer, means daily reading and weekday problem solving (either math or social studies or science, their choice). Also, they’ll be doing some SAT prep (we’re using the 3 Minutes A Day method from McCutcheon and Schaffer.
Is that too much to ask of a teenager? I don’t think so, and my wife doesn’t think so, and my kids don’t think so, but I’ll leave the floor open for debate. And, for the flip-side, I’d love to hear from those parents who are torturing nurturing their kids with education this summer. What are your plans?
by Stu Mark
Photo graciously provided by Shenghung Lin, through a Creative Commons license, some rights reserved
3 responses so far ↓
Stephanie // Jun 2, 2008 at 12:51 pm
My daughter is finishing off kindergarten, and we want her to keep working on her reading and writing skills. Fortunately, she loves geography and we have a workbook she adores for that.
Nan // Jun 3, 2008 at 4:50 am
I will definitely make sure Max reads every day, as I feel he needs the practice. But I have never given my kids “school” work to do in the holidays before. My older boys love to read, and we do have some great science dvds, but I prefer to ignore the academic stuff and do the things that I feel are left out of the school system… That means plenty of fishing, cooking, music and art projects, and plenty of lying about in hammocks staring into the treetops. We have no TV, so the kids parking themselves in front of it is not an issue!
Lori // Jun 3, 2008 at 4:29 pm
Just ordered the essay one. Do you recommend the critical reading as well? She does pretty well in math.
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