Posts Tagged ‘School Year’

Summer Learning – Top 5 Tips

December 28th, 2009

1. Educational computer software and games is an excellent tool to use with your children to promote learning at home. This software helps keep your child engaged and productive. It also provides an information specific atmosphere as opposed to the web where one is exposed to a variety of information. Summer can be rough on the care taker who never seems to have the proper amount of time to plan or prepare for the next activity! Suggesting that your child spend a little quiet time playing an educational game is a bit more productive than video games or television.

2. Encourage your child to keep in contact with friends through educational computer gaming that is multi-player. Mixing social activity is a huge motivator for children. Not to mention that children inadvertently teach and learn from one another when interacting.

3. Plan trips to local museums, parks etc. that have historical significance. Research a bit yourself before accompanying your child on these outings and talk casually about the significance of the place while there. Hint: Let your child be in charge of the map, pamphlet which they will have to read and follow to make suggestions!

4. Incorporate summer reading into a book/movie comparison. Help your child choose books that have also been made into a movie. After completing the book, either with or without your help, have a movie night with the film version of your story. Then either with a discussion or a report have your child compare the book to the movie. You would be surprised how often the book is preferred!

5. Summer is a great time to promote the use of a musical instrument. Practicing at home is key with instrument instruction. During their break from school a child may find it easier to incorporate the time needed to practice into their schedule. Gaining that momentum in the summer should make the practices during the school year a bit easier!

For a great selection of Educational Computer Software and Games please visit us at www. thesoftwarespot. comEducational Computer Software and Games

Travel With Kids – Five Stuff-free Games for Long Car Trips

December 24th, 2009

It’s almost the end of the school year, and, despite the soaring cost of gas, you likely have some travel in store for you and the family during the coming months. Here are five ideas you can keep at the back of your mind when the “how much longer?” questions start coming fast and furious. 1. Twins and triplets – Use “twins” to have everyone name one thing that comes in twins. Think “mom and dad,” “soup and salad,” “stop and go. ” When it’s your turn, you can shout out an answer. If the next person doesn’t have an answer in three seconds, the following person can fill in. Players keep score by how many they have come up with. It’s obviously easy at first, but gets harder after a few times around. “Triplets” is even more challenging. 2. Horse – The first player says a letter and the following players have to add letters until a word is formed. The player who adds a letter that forms any word loses. The trick is that players must have a word in mind that could be created as they add a letter. So spelling H-O-R and adding an S might lead to forming “Horse” for the next player unless they could form a word that starts with H-O-R-S but does not have an E next. 3. Which would you rather be? – Choose odd combinations of things to quiz people on their inner selves and true desires. “What would you rather be: a whale or a shark? A theater usher or a candy counter attendant? A professional singer or a librarian? A dog or a cat?” The list goes on and on, only limited by your imagination and curiosity. You might actually learn something about your kids or spouse!4. License plates – This is an old chestnut, but can keep kids busy for a few minutes at least while they realize that license plates come on cars from all over the country. Some kids wait years before seeing one from Hawaii or Alaska. 5. Alphabet soup – I almost hit a truck looking for an R during a recent car trip so I’m cautious about this game. In this game, each player has to find letters of the alphabet in alphabetical order starting with A. Each player keeps track and tries to avoid cheating. Little kids love to hunt for letters while they ride, and this game can be safely played from the back seat.

That should be enough to keep them at bay for at least ten miles. Long travel gives dads the added concern of keeping kids from getting bored on the journey. Read more about tips for dads traveling with kids.

How to Prevent Learning Loss in Children During Summer Months

December 16th, 2009

It is not uncommon for a child to know certain facts and then forget them when new facts are learned. This is especially common during the summer months, when children can spend less time studying or learning. Because there is that long time span of not going to class, sometimes children will lose some of the knowledge acquired during the school year. It is easy to forget something when it isn’t practiced enough. To prevent learning loss in children during summer months, there are a variety of things parents can do. Play Learning Games Learning games are a great way to prevent learning loss in children during the summer months. These can be simple games that you make up and play with your child. You also can buy many learning games online and in educational stores. Many games that are just for fun can be turned into learning games with a simple variation. Be creative. This is a great way to keep a child’s brain active, while allowing him or her to have fun as well. Even simple things like doing the dishes, playing ring toss, or buying groceries can be used as a fun lesson. Read, Read, Read Reading is an activity that many kids enjoy. It’s also a required activity for progress in learning. Joining a <a onClick=”javascript:pageTracker. _trackPageview(’/outgoing/article_exit_link’);” href=”http://www. clickandclimb. com/”>summer reading program</a> or visiting the library often can help prevent learning loss in children during summer months. Most libraries have summer reading programs. You also can get creative and let the kids invent their own. Either way, keep track of what is read over the summer and reward the child for a job well done. Summer reading programs may already offer rewards, but an award from parents can be very meaningful to a child. This is a great way to boost confidence. Enroll the Child in a Summer Math Program Summer tutoring online or summer math programs are an excellent way to prevent learning loss in children during the summer months. It may seem like this will be an interruption to a deserved break. But, summer learning programs can be very convenient and flexible. Children should have time to play during the summer, but their brains should also be kept active. Online summer learning programs are one way of doing so with flexibility. A good <a onClick=”javascript:pageTracker. _trackPageview(’/outgoing/article_exit_link’);” href=”http://www. clickandclimb. com/getting_started. php”>online summer math</a> program will allow flexibility in time schedules, as well as a customized learning process that both you and your child will be comfortable with. Take Educational Family Trips Another way to prevent learning loss in children during summer months is to take educational family trips. Camping, going on a nature hike, or visiting a local zoo or museum are all considered educational family trips. They also can be very fun. Summer break is all about fun, but that doesn’t mean that children can’t exercise those brain muscles, and take the time to point out animals, plants, and exhibits. If there are information plaques or guides, read those with the child. Better yet, the child can read them to you.