Happy Fourth of July to all my southern-dwelling friends and family! For us, this marks the middle of our summer.
I am cherishing yet counting down the days until this blessed thing called school starts again. We are truly enjoying ourselves, but I am looking forward to that first day back. I read an article the other day about just how much learning is lost in the summer.
If you think about it in adult terms, what if you had to take a three month break each year from your job and then go back with a promotion with greater responsibility?
That’s essentially what our kids go through. We can cut the learning loss and give our kids a huge boost if we encourage them, no…make them, read during the summer.
I buy a Summer Bridge book for each of my kids before summer begins, and we try our best to stay on track. As of now, we are caught up.
They honestly enjoy it. Each book has material with grade appropriate material bridging from the grade they just completed to the one they are entering.
They are broken into three sections for each month of summer. Even when you go on vacation, take them with you, and it gives them something to do in the car between movies.
Some schools here give an extra 100% test grade if the student brings them in completed. It gives them something constructive to do and gets them an extra test grade. That’s a win, win for me.
Something else that a retired teacher recommended to me is to keep them reading! Since we are celebrating our nation’s independence, start there!
There are several books and series that have biographies and non-fiction content with great sustenance for kids that teach them about the founding fathers of our country.
Much better than reading about babysitting and boxcars. Some of my favorites are the Christian Heroes:
Then and Now series and the Who was…? Series. They even have a What is America?
Collection boxed set of 25 books of subjects ranging from Abraham Lincoln to the Boston Tea Party! Your local library may even have some of these!
Wishing you an amazing second half of your summer and a Safe Fourth of July!
