Spark Your Child's Imagination This Summer

"Children whose parents spend time with them, reading to them, interacting with them, those children do well in school. The summer is the perfect time to do that," said Becky Poppe, librarian at the Core Knowledge Foundation, in Charlottesville, Virginia. The foundation, started by education innovator E.D. Hirsch Jr., developed the groundbreaking Core Knowledge curriculum. Used by schools and parents across the country, the idea behind Core Knowledge is that children must build on the knowledge they have acquired from one year to the next, much like a child would build a tower, stacking blocks upon blocks.

The foundation's books detail what should be instructed to children up to sixth grade, starting with What Every Kindergartener Should Know. If you are looking for ideas for this summer, these books are chock full of stories, lessons and activities for your student, divided into subject areas. Here are some other ideas for summer activities:

Reading And Writing

Check out your local library for summer reading clubs that make reading fun by offering coupons and other incentives over the summer. Or create your own club. Bring along books to the pool or the park. Set aside time to read every day. If you have a child in early elementary grades, select a few classics such as Tom Sawyer that may be above his comprehension level but will stoke his imagination. Read aloud to your children, even if they are older. Some suggestions can be found at www.cbcbooks.org, the website of the Children's Books Council. Link here for more summer reading tips.

Journaling not only can improve your child's confidence in writing but it's something you can do together. Take along a notebook on your vacation and record some favorite moments. And speaking of vacation, time in the car doesn't have to be wasted over squabbles for window seats. Books on tape and storytellers' recordings are a fine way to introduce new stories. Storyteller Jim Weiss, produced by Greathall Productions Inc., has a wide selection of tapes ranging from fairy tales to mythology.

History

Provide an up-close look at history during your summer travels. "Kids get excited when they see things in the world that they've seen in books," Poppe said. Will your trip this summer take you near a Civil War battlefield, a Revolutionary War landmark or a stop on the journey of Lewis and Clark? Or perhaps there is something closer to home that you can visit that will make history come alive for your child. The "Resources to Build On" section of the Core Knowledge Foundation's website, www.coreknowledge.org, has a number of grade-based suggestions on history books for children ranging from easy-to-read books on Betsy Ross to biographies of Marie Curie.

Science

Summer is also a good time for getting out and exploring the world around us. Take your children on a hike. Visit the local nature center or aquarium for ideas and activities. An outing at a planetarium or an evening of
stargazing will help them understand the planets and constellations. Download ideas for home science experiments at www.sitesforteachers.com.

Mathematics

The key to mastering mathematics is practice. Stop your child's math skills from getting rusty during the summer. For the younger child, make math flashcards to review addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Upper elementary school children would benefit from worksheets found at www.abcteach.com and
www.rhlschool.com. Also, check out some excellent mathematics-based computer software produced by Sierra, The Learning Company and Broderbund to keep up math skills.

Whether it's exploring tide pools at the beach or enjoying an outdoor concert at your local park, the summer can be an important time for your children to be together with and learn with their first and most important teacher: you.

Back to Power Topic: Summer Fun.