Staycation

Times are tough. This year, many families are choosing a "staycation" instead of traveling. Why don't you try one?

When planning your staycation, try to think of fun and educational things you can do as a family. For example, visit a local history museum to learn more about the history of where you live. Many of the local museums are free or inexpensive and offer summer events. Go to the local library and check out books about your town or state to read with your children. Go for a hike in your local community and try to identify different types of plants. 

You don't have to go far to have a good time learning with your kids this summer!

Summer Art Activity

Does anything scream summer more than a hot dry sidewalk and sidewalk chalk? I don’t think so! Consider the arts when you are spending time with your children this summer. One of my favorite summer activities is making sidewalk art. Before you start, consider watching the movie Mary Poppins with your child for inspiration!

While your children are out of school take them to a local museum. Most cities or towns have at least one museum. Some have paintings and sculptures, and others have local historical items. Often the museum has staff that can give you more information about the exhibits. Follow the visit with a bucket of sidewalk chalk and try to recreate the pictures you saw on your trip. You can have art contests to see who has the most colorful pictures or who has the most imaginative pictures. Art is an important part of a well-rounded education, but often it’s the first thing cut when education funding is lost. Spend some time with your child this summer making your own art and the time will be well invested.

Summer Science Anyone?

This summer, plan to talk to your kids about science. Its all around us, literally. This weeks blog activity is stargazing, and I don't mean at the supermarket checkout!

If your kids are young, take a couple of blankets out to the yard and lie down together to look at the stars. Talk about landmarks like the North Star, the Big Dipper, and any other constellations you might know. If your kids are in elementary school, try to go further afield. You could do your stargazing in a local park. Maybe do it in a variety of places and talk about the differences. Take your kids to the library and check out books about the stars and the planets or let them use the web to look up interesting facts. 

The important part is spending time with your kids. Sparking their interest in astronomy is just a fun by-product!

Summer Vacations

Is your family taking a trip this year for your summer vacation? Have you thought of ways you can turn your trip into learning experiences for your children? If you haven't yet, its not too late!

the age of technology is upon us and that means our kids have to know and be able to do more than we probably did. In fact, kids in Alabama have to demonstrate that they know the standards by passing the Graduation Exam before they can receive a diploma. One thing that hasn't changed is the time off that all kids look forward to each summer. However, each year during the summer break, kids lose a little of the knowledge they gained the year before. You can help them to keep that knowledge and maybe even gain a little more! Research shows that what parents do at home is their best way of improving the educational outcome for their children.

This summer when you plan your family vacation, try to make it a Theme Vacation! For example, if you plan on taking your children to visit Washington DC, rent Mr. Smith Goes to Washington ahead of time and watch it with them. Talk to them on the way about our nation's history and then take them to one of the many free museums at the Smithsonian. If you plan your trip well in advance, you can even contact your congressmen and get tickets to see the capital building or the White House. If you are going to a beach, spend a little time with your kids researching the local marine life. Talk to them about beach erosion and how to protect our coastlines. If you are going to visit family in a different state, have your kids research the history and culture of the area. A visit to Selma could be an opportunity for you to talk to your kids about the civil rights history and you could take them on a tour of civil rights landmarks like the Pettis Bridge. the most important part of a Theme vacation is the time you spend talking about it with your kids!

Summer Begins!

Summer has arrived and most schools are closing for the year if they haven't already. Many parents have mixed emotions about summer vacation. Its a great time of year for the entire family to plan a trip or just stay home and enjoy the weather. But its also a time when kids seem to lose some of what they learned the year before. In fact, teaches can tell you that much of the beginning of the next school year will be dedicated to relearning what was taught the year before. 

What can we do at home to make a difference in our kid's learning. Actually, quite a bit. The research tells us that what parents do at home is the type of parent involvement that has the biggest impact on student achievement. So, this summer there are a couple of things you can do and we will highlight a new idea for you each week. This week we will focus on literacy by highlighting Family Book Clubs.

To start your own Family Book Club, select a book that will interest you and your child and is on your child's reading level. Your local library has lots of good books you can borrow and the librarian can help you decide if the reading levels are right. Then decide how many pages or chapters you and your child will read each night. The next morning set aside some time to talk to each other about what you read. Be sure to talk about things like the plot, the main characters,  and the setting. 

This activity can help you to raise your child's vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. But the best part is the time you get to spend together!