by Cheryl Abney

Created on: June 07, 2009   Last Updated: July 20, 2009

A little bit of planning can continue your child's education through the summer, at home or traveling. Because reading ability determines success in every facet of schooling, educators recommend that parents read to their child every day for at least 15 minutes. You may read entirely or take turns reading paragraphs or pages. Plan a weekly trip to the library or book store and let the book choice be theirs. Whether fiction, nonfiction or cartoons, they're learning to value reading for the sake of enjoyment.

To improve math skills, take your child with you to the store and have them compare unit price amounts. You can have them round the figures up or down to whole dollars to get an approximate cart value at checkout. Another math activity is to have them estimate the cost of your vacation plans for gas, lodging, airfare, pet sitting, food, admissions. During the trip they can keep track of all the costs incurred for an end-of-trip total and comparison.

A family game night is an enjoyable diversion that can also be educational. Select playing cards and board games that emphasize academic skills and memory. As a parent and school counselor, I have found the following games to be popular favorites:

1) Hi Ho Cherry-O (ages 3-6) teaches counting.

2) Disney Children's Yahtzee (ages 5+) teaches matching.

3) Uno teaches numbers, colors and strategies.

4) Sequence for Kids (ages 3-6) teaches matching and strategies.

When used with discretion and supervision, computers provide a useful tool for helping children learn. The following three internet sites provide enjoyable computer activities to continue your child's education through the summer months.

www.Kidzui.com is a safe internet site with parent approved games and videos.

www.math-and-reading-help-for-kids.org lists both reading and math websites. It also has children's educational games like hangman and memory flip.

www.primarygames.com provides an attractive screen display of game choices promoting language art skills, math, social studies, science and more.

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When you travel by car you can play simple thought games like Homonyms. A homonym is a word that has the same sound but a different meaning. For example, the first player says, "I'm thinking of a 3 letter word that starts with an S." The other player attempts to think of the answer - sun and son. Another car game is to look for the letters of the alphabet, starting with A, on signs and bulletin boards. Don't overlook your local museums and attractions for rewarding educational day trips. These offer an ideal opportunity to improve writing skills by having your child journal their experience.

Learning can be incorporated into your family's everyday activities. Children can help read recipes and measure ingredients with you. They can look in bird books to help identify those observed in your own backyard. Be inventive and approach all activities with emphasis on fun and you'll be appreciated as their friend, rather than their foe, in providing quality home education through the summer.

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