Amanda Kaestner is a writer for the Gannett Company and recently got in touch with me asking if she could write an article for my blog about Summer Programs. Whether you are a parent, a counselor, or a teacher the following has some great info to help students from hitting that summer slide.
According to the National
Summer Learning Association, all middle school students
lose math skills over the summer and many also suffer a setback in
reading and spelling skills. Summer learning enrichment programs for middle
school students go
a long way in preventing the loss of skills so that when the new
school year begins, students are still refreshed and maintain the same level of
knowledge before they left.
The summer break has been romanticized as a time for children to
swim, climb
trees and catch lightning bugs. In reality, many children in
families without summer plans can often find themselves bored or lacking mental
stimulation. Many of them are left alone with nothing to do while their parents are away at
work. Parents can help prevent that boredom and find summer enrichment programs that
can be fun as well as stimulating.
Here are a few:
Summer Science Camps
Students
interested in science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) can have hands-on
enrichment experiences at a nearby summer
science camp. They are held across the country and offer a wide range
of activities. Students can create their own video games or build robots.
They can participate in crime scene investigations or experience what it
is like to be an astronaut. Parents can find
a camp that has a program of interest to their child. Each individual
camp generally has scholarships or financial aid available.
Summer Educational Programs
Many school
districts can offer various summer educational programs you can enroll your
student in as well. For example, Kyrene School District
is a highly notable district in the southwest region that offers an array
of comprehensive summer programs for all grade school levels to keep
students occupied and learning after the regular season has ended. Parents
can search at the main site of their districts to find programs in their
area or search according to a specific topic, like drama, music, writing
or computers to find program that will take advantage of their child’s
interests.
Parents Become Teachers
Not all
parents can send their children to summer science camps or other
community based enrichment programs. They want to help their students, but
are unsure of how to go about it. Suggestions for daily learning
activities are found at many websites, including Great
Schools which offers unique suggestions, like having children watch television
with the sound off. They read the closed captioning and get rewarded for spelling
and grammar errors they find.
Parents can find
science projects to do at home. Before a trip to the beach, children can
read up on gravity and its effects on ocean waves. Cooking and baking together can
turn into a math lesson on measurements and fractions. The possibilities can
be endless with an entire summer to work with.
Online Summer Learning
Almost all middle
school students love using computers. Enrichment programs are offered
online on various topics. Students can brush up on skills as well as learn
new things. The internet is full of free information, all you have to do is
just do a little research and pick the program that’s right for your
student. FreeOnlineSummerSchool.com
is a great free resource that offers a huge list of online summer school
courses for middle school students and they’re all free!
Local Libraries, Youth Centers and Museums
Take a couple
trips to the library if your middle schooler finds they are bored. Almost
all libraries have summer reading awards programs and with all that time on
their hands, why not encourage getting lost in a few good novels this
summer? Local youth centers may have educational, craft and sports
programs to look into and museums often offer day or week-long seminars as
well. Parents can check for programs in their community to help their kid
have a fun summer while keeping those gears in motion. Continuous
stimulation, whether it’s reading a book or making new friends at a
theater or science camp, will help your middle schooler return refreshed and
ready to learn as soon as the Fall semester starts up again, putting your
student ahead of the curve.
Want to connect with other counselors and see what advice they have? Follow along with one of the ways below:
The Middle School Counselor Facebook Page
Carol's Pinterest Boards
The Middle School Counselor on Twitter
Caught In The Middle School Counselors (Facebook Group)
High School Counselors' Network(Facebook Group)
Elementary School Counselor Exchange (Facebook Group)
The Middle School Counselor App
Posts
No comments