I know with school nearing a close for many of you, you’re wondering what you’re going to do so your kiddos don’t forget all those precious tidbits you so carefully lodged in their brains over the course of the year. While I don’t plan anything super hard core for summer (we all need a break, me included!) I do keep the kids reading over the summer, mostly fun books. They get to pick what they want to read and as long as it’s appropriate for them, that’s fine.
Just to keep all of the other subjects fresh in their minds, we also do some activities out of the Carson Dellosa Summer Bridge activity books! They’re literally ZERO planning on my part, and great for keeping kids skills fresh over the summer.
Keeping up with your students reading, math, and other basic skills over the long summer break is important. I’m not sure if this happens to your kids, but it seems like a few weeks after school is out my kids seem to forget everything they’ve learned the previous year.
Depending on the day, I usually have the kids are do 1 lesson per day out of their workbook. I don’t usually force the issue too much, there tends to be a time each day where they start getting bored, and the Summer Bridge activities are the perfect solution! The great thing about them, is that they’re colorful and fun, so it’s not hard to get them to do a page or two.
Just to make it a little more fun, we use our Educational Insights Smens pens to make it a little bit more fun. They LOVE IT!
And I kid you not, one of them said “Wow, this is so much more fun than regular school!” and the other came up later in the day and actually asked me if she could do some school in her new workbook! Are you serious? YEAH!
Interested in some summer bridge activities?
Visit Carson-Dellosa for more info:
This past year was our first year of “official” school, but last summer we actually used one of these workbooks on occasion. It’s great to know you recommend it! We go to the library during the summer and because we live on a farm/ranch the learning never seems to end!
Thanks for this opportunity!
We participate in the library summer reading program, and we have a short day of only 3 subjects a day. We take every Tuesday off and spend it at the pool.
I teach preschool in my home. I have a list of the ABC’s in uppercase & lowercase with each child’s name on it and before we go outside, I give each child a “ticket” (a card with a letter on it). If they can tell me what’s on the card, they get a sticker next to that letter so that I know they know that letter and it lets me know what “tickets” to give them. If they can’t tell me what letter it is, I tell them and maybe they can earn a sticker for that letter next time. Once a child knows all their letters, then they have to tell me the sound that letter makes to earn their sticker. =)
Lots of reading. We do as many reading programs as we can , earning lots of goodies 🙂 Also lots of playdates with fellow friends who are not homeschooled~
I am behind on planning summer learning activities for my virtually schooled kids. An activity pack from Carson-Dellosa would give me real boost towards getting our “summer school” going this year.
I so would love to win this foer my children. I have never really done any fun stuff with my children.But know that my girl goes to school (I am starting homeschool), (Lord Willing). Grade 1 in September. But I do read to them not a lot. But I am lerning.
My spelling is not the greatest.
We subscribe to your blog already! And love it!
If we get any CA/Bay Area heat, we’ll hit the library to “escape”… maybe a cheapy matinee here-n-there tossed in with the very typical VBS. Also some lego/mechanical workshops and the like to keep those creative wheels a turnin’ (during which, Mommy gets a chance to organize the new curriculum!). This summer being our first “Homeschool Summer” we will have a lot of planning/organizing to do (TOGETHER). In short (ha) lifeskills will be a HUGE component of our summer time learning. Blessings to you and yours!
I homeschool my kids, and I don’t plan to take a huge break during the summer b/c I’m afraid they will lose what they have learned. These books look perfect for keeping them interested in their work!
I subscribe via email!