Thinking Through Summer Fun t’s finally summer! Your children are signed up for camp or a variety of activities and lessons, and the weather is what we dreamed about all through our long, cold, dark winter. Grills are working, flowers are blooming, and kids think summer will last almost forever. While we are enjoying all the pleasures of summer, let’s give a little thought to how to make it beneficial as well as enjoyable for your children. 1. When the kids aren’t in a scheduled activity, what are they doing? With no homework in the evenings, it’s easy to say sure, you can watch TV or play electronic games all evening. Easy, but not great for your child. Think about setting strict limits on time in front of a screen (whatever the size!) in favor of more social, participatory, and creative activities. Sending kids I outside (especially if there are others on your street) without a planned activity is a great way to get them to be creative, develop social skills, and learn to solve problems without resorting to calling in an adult referee. Just set some geographic and safety boundaries, and see what happens! 2. Plan some rainy day activities Cook together, play a board game, do an art project, read together, write a book about your child with your child, with illustrations, of course. There is no way to overstate the benefits of spending quality time and creating lasting memories for both of you. But when it has to be child only, how about asking your child to do some creative on his/her own. Whether they are budding cooks, artists, writers, actors, architects or engineers, have some materi- als around that appeal to their interests and age level and give them an opportunity to create something. An older child may be able to cook a healthy dinner for the family with minimal supervision. A child who likes to build may create something no one has ever seen before. Likewise, a budding actor may gather friends and or siblings and create a play for a family audience. Consider giving your young artist a section of wall in a playroom or bedroom and free rein to paint it. It’s really not that hard to paint over it later. 3. Don’t ignore the academics altogether “Summer slide” is very real! Children lose about three months’ worth of learning if they don't engage in academic learning over the summer. And, they lose more in math than they do in reading. If your child is still mastering basic math facts, try adding 5-10 minutes a day with a computer game aimed at practicing those facts. Typing “math facts games” into your web browser will bring up a long list of game sites. If your child already knows his/her facts, but has learned them fairly recently, playing the games, three or four a week for a few minutes, will prevent the facts from slipping away over the summer. This information was provided by The Tutoring Center. If math, reading or writing were struggles last year, or if next year's classes looks daunting, consider a summer program. If your child already has good grades, consider keeping up and extending his or her skills in a summer enrichment program. For a free diagnostic assessment, call 216 292-HELP (4357). For more information, visit www.pepperpike.tutoringcenter.com. SUMMER IS A GREAT TIME TO LEARN One-to-One Instruction for Your K-12 Student Enroll now! Take advantage of the lowest college tuition in Northeast Ohio Easily transfer your credits to a four-year university • Summer Enrichment • Research-based program • Study Skills • Little Geniuses in Training for Entering Kindergarten Students • Math • Reading • Writing • Geometry • Algebra l & ll • Pre-Calculus and AP Calculus Diagnostic Assessment and First 2 Sessions FREE! Expires 7/31/15. www.tri-c.edu 216-987-6000 14-4272 For more information, go to Guaranteed Results! Affordable Month-to-Month Tuition! Great for ADD/ADHD & Learning Disabilities! (216) 292-HELP (4357) 30659 Pinetree Rd. at Lander Circle Eastern Campus | 4250 Richmond Road | Highland Hills, Ohio 44122 www.tutoringcenter.com 14-4272 East Educational Awareness Beachwood Buzz 3.605x4.85 Ad.indd 1 38 Beachwood Buzz n June 2015 9/11/14 10:32 AM