Making Summer Educational

Each week in Mom's Talk, our Mom's Council and smart moms take your questions, give advice and share solutions. This week, when should children be allowed to start kindergarten. Feel free to partake in the discussion and offer an opinion, or a future question, by commenting below.

Q:

The Summer Slide?

Sure, temperatures are rising, the sun is shining, aahh, yes, it’s almost summer time! But, the question on a lot of moms’ minds is … school work? What? It’s hard to believe but even though the school year will soon come to a close, some moms are already making plans for their children for the summer and on their minds is the slide.  No, not the playground slide – the summer slide – when our kids forget all of that hard earned knowledge from the past school year!  Yes, parents want the kids to kick back, relax and have some fun, but they are also thinking of educational opportunities to keep not just their kids’ bodies active, but their minds as well.  Children work hard on their studies all school year and teachers often report the students continued achievements throughout the school year. But, teachers also report that those same students who excelled throughout the school year often return to school the next year behind where they were when they left. So the question is: As parents, what can we do to prevent our children from backsliding during the summer months and be prepared for the next school year?

A:  The best two things you can have your children do over the summer is first, to journal. Have your child draw a picture and then write about that picture – even if it’s just a sentence or two for the younger ones. The second is to read, read, read.  Read to your children and have them read to you. And for those in East Hampton, check out the fun enrichment camps being offered this summer with a literacy focus at Memorial Elementary School. 

- Carol Kelly, kindergarten teacher at Memorial Elementary

A:  I don’t want to harp on my kids' backs all summer long about school stuff but I do worry about my kids losing some of what they learned in the previous school year, especially since there is so much pressure on what our kids need to know. So, I try to do fun things with the kids so they don’t even realize their learning over the summer. We take trips to the library or one of the children museums on rainy days.  This way the kids aren’t hanging in front of the TV all day. Also, even though economic times are tough, we try to enroll the kids in one camp a piece where they can learn something new. Memorial Elementary School offers some programs that allow the kids to learn in a fun way. And, finally we continue to read to our kids – something we have done since they were babies anyway.  We have found reading to be educational but also a great bonding opportunity with our children.

- Jen, East Hampton parent

A:  We look at making educational-related activities out of our normal summer activities. It can also be a good way to have fun together. Even a simple outing like going to the grocery store can be a learning opportunity. The store is wide open for opportunities to learn math, letters and reading. We can then continue practicing those skills when we get those groceries home. The little ones pull the letter magnets off the fridge for practice, the older ones can help count and sort the groceries and then can use their reading and math skills to measure and prepare meals according to the recipes. Learning can be fun (and yummy!) even over the summer.

- Erik, East Hampton parent