We are about to embark on one of the most important and yet also most neglected periods of time for a child’s educational development – the summer vacation! Most kids, left to their own devices, will see this period of time as a time for “freedom” – especially from matters of education. Research shows that those who receive educational support at home will perform better in school than those who do not. Some significant difference in math or reading scores is made during summer vacations over the years because parents have the most impact on their children’s learning.
For this summer, we are facing a difficult question. The parents who live in the Covid-19 impacted areas want to ask, “What can I do for my child during this crucial period? We hope to give a few important suggestions here.
More than the nightly storybook, the summer weeks should include many experiences with reading and writing. First, parents should make a deliberate effort to increase the amount of reading that takes place at home. Parents can read aloud a range of genres including narratives and expository texts and talk about the text and the illustrations in the book. Many books for all ages include pictures or charts to help comprehension.
Before the pandemic, we were able to frequent a library and “story hour” events. However, not everyone can or is willing to do so in this summer. We want to encourage your network to trade books with friends, neighbors, and relatives. When you do, involve your children in selecting the books. For example, encourage them to share their thoughts about what a good book is, what specific features or genres they want. You or your child can use social media to post the needs of searching for a good book, too, which will lead them to understand purposeful writing.
Virtual trips to a museum and a zoo are possible (e.g. through Google Arts and Culture or Trends), and can result in conversation about colors, shapes, and more, etc. This kind of conversation around specifics will offer children the opportunity to connect vocabulary to concepts (for example, hearing the word “tiger” and seeing the actual animal); summer experiences actually offer many new avenues to develop vocabulary despite the stay-home situation.
One more thing parents can do is to plan a time and place for their child to write every day and talk about, respond to, or read aloud the child’s writing, because that will give the child the authentic reason of writing. Writing for young children begins with drawing and scribbling. Often, art projects provide young children developmentally appropriate tasks that promote writing skills. Drawing and writing stories about summer experiences can help maintain the skills children learned in school while entertaining them in a delightful art project. Markers, pencils, brushes, etc., are essential materials for the summer months. For teens, media writing is a key for successful regular writing practices. Use free platforms such as Boys Read and Write (boywriter.com) for publication opportunities for your children. That will broaden their writing and sharing experiences beyond instant text messages or social media writings.
Parents should not try to replicate school during the summer. Having one or two projects for two to months are often more than enough. The ease and leisure of the summer weeks offer many benefits in themselves. The enriched, unhurried activities that both parents and children enjoy in the summer are excellent learning opportunities. For this summer, we encourage everyone start a writing project!
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