Summertime skill-sharpeners

Teaching Pre K-8, May 2001 by Laminack, Lester

One of the pitfalls of summer vacation is that children get out of the habit of using the skills and they built during the school year. Here are some ways to help your child to sharpen those skills over the summer.

Small change. You can make every summer shopping trip a math lesson. Whenever you shop - whether it's at the grocery store or the mall - save your receipt and keep the change separate until you get home.

When you're home, sit down with your child and review the receipt to match the items you purchased. Check to see that each item was scanned at the price marked on the item.

Count the change with your child to verify that the change matches the difference between the cash tendered and the merchandise total on the receipt.

The change can be dropped into a container. Empty the container once a week, count the change and mark the total on a calendar. Set a goal and work toward a pizza, a movie or a visit to the ice cream shop.

World tour. Take advantage of opportunities to visit museums, state parks and national monuments. Even if you don't plan to take a family trip this summer, you can take a worldwide virtual tour on the Internet.

Locally, you and your children can visit the zoo, attend a play, take part in library story hour. On a rainy day, check out PBS, the Discovery Channel, the History Channel, the Learning Channel, the Travel Channel, Animal Planet and others. Watch programs with your child and talk about the content.

The old routines. Summer is supposed to be "down time," and we need to relax after a busy school year, but let's not forget the importance of routine.

As the summer draws to a close, it's a good idea to slowly re-establish school routines for bedtime, breakfast and dinner. That way, when school gears up again, you'll be a step ahead.