Learning shouldn’t stop just because school is out. Principals from Summit Academy Schools share their best tips for helping students stay on track this summer while having fun.
1. Create math equations with sidewalk chalk.
Parents, grandparents, big sisters and brothers, aunts and uncles: Create a math problem on the sidewalk using chalk, then have your student solve the equation, suggests Dawn Presley, principal at Summit Academy — Akron Elementary School.
She adds that this is a great way to mix fun and fresh air with math facts.
2. Read at least 15 minutes a day.
“It’s a very important and fairly simple activity to support what students have learned,” says Dawn Heck, principal at Summit Academy – Toledo.
She says students in her school were given book packs for summer reading and were encouraged to read with a parent, a sibling, a family member or even a pet.
Keegan Schoen, principal at Summit Academy Community School for Alternative Learners — Lorain Elementary, adds that students should find books on topics that interest them and read as much as possible.
3. Read a map. Did I hear road trip?
Older students: When you’re going somewhere, bring along a map, read it and build your brain power, says Mike Williston, principal at Summit Academy School — Lorain.
Not only will you develop your navigational and spatial orientation skills, you also won’t get lost, he says.
4. Spell words with gross motor movement.
“Give your child a word to spell, and have them spell it while jumping rope, one letter for each pass of the rope,” Presley says, emphasizing just how fun spelling can be. “If your child misses a jump, ask them to restart spelling the word from the beginning.”
5. Bake something tasty, and accurately measure the recipe ingredients.
Put your math and science skills to work to make something delicious, Williston suggests.
“Bake something and be sure to use the right measurements,” he says. “M&M cookies, anyone?”
6. When you are out for a hike or drive, check out your surroundings.
“Go for a hike and take pictures of leaves and animal tracks, then go figure out what they are from,” Williston says.
He adds that when students are in the car and see a sign dedicated to someone, they should research that person to learn more.
7. Measure bubbles
Older elementary students: Grab a bottle of bubbles and a ruler and create the largest bubble you can, Presley suggests.
Next, measure the size of the bubble to get its diameter, then determine its radius and circumference, she says. “You can make this activity even more fun outdoors using sidewalk chalk to record the bubble’s measurements.”
