@ShanessaF Hurray! School is almost out and it is time for summer fun. But remember a child can experience summer learning loss and drop as many as two grade levels in reading during the summer. Some studies show that children may lose anywhere from 20 to 50 percent of the skills and information learned throughout the school year. Learning begins at home so it is imperative to find meaningful learning experiences that balance summer fun and summer learning. Here are some tips to follow in order to keep those neurons firing on all cylinders during the summer:
Read every day. Carve some time out each day for your child to read a book. They should also read to you and you should read to them. Let your child see you read a book as well. This allows them to see just how important reading is. Ask comprehension questions about the story and have your child to answer the questions. You can also have your child to answer the comprehension questions by writing complete sentences using capitalization and punctuation.
When you are in the car have your child to read aloud the signs that they see. Make weekly visits to the library and have them check out books to read. Your home should be a literacy rich environment with books and magazines everywhere. One of my favorite pastimes is to spend Saturday in Barnes & Noble’s reading various books and magazines. They have an awesome section for the kids to sit and enjoy reading their favorite books.
Practice math skills daily. A trip to the grocery store is an excellent math opportunity. Your child can guesstimate how much the groceries will cost. Have your child join you in the kitchen to follow and make a recipe. This is a great example of a measurement activity. Purchase math flashcards (addition, multiplication, subtraction, and division) and math workbooks for them to practice. Teach them to count back change. Make up some math word problems for them to solve. Teach them several ways to solve the problem. Play board games and card games. Teach them how to tell time on an analog clock. Give them word problems about telling time. Every day is a great opportunity to teach math.
Start having conversations with your child about saving money. It is never too early to talk with your child about saving money. Purchase a piggy bank and/or start them a savings account. I have had students who think that everyone has an EBT food stamp card and know nothing about a savings, checking, or money market account. We have got to expose our children to these things so they can have a better lifestyle and know how to navigate society. When you know better, you will do better. Nearly one-half of Americans live from paycheck to paycheck so teach them that you don’t want them to live from hand to mouth which is paycheck to paycheck. You want them to have a purpose-driven life full of good health and prosperity.
Keep a summer journal. Have your child write in a journal on a daily basis and share their summer adventures and trips. This gives them the experience of writing down their thoughts and experiences on paper. They can also write a letter to a relative or a friend. Writing is a skill that should be practiced on a consistent basis in order to become better at it. Practice makes perfect.
Visit educational places. Take trips to the museum, historical sites, parks, zoo, monuments, fairs, festivals, Water Park, aquariums, planetariums, beaches, plays, etc. Some of these places have virtual tours that you can participate in online. These places give the exposure that students need in order to learn and grow. You always want your child to have a myriad of educational experiences in order to become a knowledgeable and well-rounded individual.
Sign them up for summer camps. These camps allow your child to develop social, emotional, and cognitive skills. They are going to have to learn how to share, work collaboratively as a team, make decisions, and socialize with others in life. It also teaches them to respect individuals from different ethnicities, cultures, and lifestyles.
Get outside and play. Put those video games to the side and get outside to run, play, yell, and have fun. Play hide-and-seek, dodgeball, run through the water sprinkler, throw water balloons, ride your bicycle, take a walk, drink water from the water hose, etc. Be a kid. Kids should exercise during the summer months and not sit inside all day.
Volunteer or help a person in need. Teach your child the importance of helping others and giving back to the community. This will teach them how to care about others and the true meaning of gratitude. It also gives them the satisfaction of helping someone in need.
Instill in your child the mentality of being a lifelong learner. Teach your child the importance of obtaining a quality education along with growing, learning, and exploring new challenges and experiences. Set expectations for them and frequently discuss what is expected of them. If they want to achieve and be successful, they must become lifelong learners. They should not become complacent or stagnant in life. Every day is an opportunity to evolve and learn something new and exciting. Praise them for their accomplishments, big or small, and tell them they are smart, talented, and able-bodied. They can do whatever they put their mind to doing.
Allow opportunities for creativity. Children need space and time to explore their imagination and sharpen their critical thinking skills. Allow your child to draw and paint during the summer months. Do some fun science experiments with them. Children are born curious so you want to challenge them to think outside of the box and learn who they are. Allow them to ask questions and try new things. This allows them to find out their talents, skills, and abilities. Our children are the future and we must prepare them for our global world. Let’s start by bringing back the “village concept” and ensuring that everyone does their part.
BIO
Dr. Shanessa Fenner is an elementary principal. She has also been a middle school principal. She is a writer for many publications that include Up & Coming Weekly, Women’s View, Sheen Magazine, Array Magazine, Consciousness Magazine, The Fayetteville Press Newspaper, Bronze Magazine, OTC Beauty Magazine, Way To Parent Magazine, and several more publications. She has also written pieces for Jet, Black Enterprise, Black America Web, and Essence magazines. She had a blog with The Fayetteville Observer Newspaper called “Shanessa’s Hot Topics.” Dr. Fenner is also a print model, motivational speaker, actress, and has her own TV show “The Bronco Exchange” on channel 7. She is a former radio personality on KISS 107.7 FM and had her own radio show entitled “Real Talk with Dr. Shanessa Fenner and was co-host of a radio show called “iTeach.” Dr. Fenner is also an adjunct professor.
Read every day. Carve some time out each day for your child to read a book. They should also read to you and you should read to them. Let your child see you read a book as well. This allows them to see just how important reading is. Ask comprehension questions about the story and have your child to answer the questions. You can also have your child to answer the comprehension questions by writing complete sentences using capitalization and punctuation.
When you are in the car have your child to read aloud the signs that they see. Make weekly visits to the library and have them check out books to read. Your home should be a literacy rich environment with books and magazines everywhere. One of my favorite pastimes is to spend Saturday in Barnes & Noble’s reading various books and magazines. They have an awesome section for the kids to sit and enjoy reading their favorite books.
Practice math skills daily. A trip to the grocery store is an excellent math opportunity. Your child can guesstimate how much the groceries will cost. Have your child join you in the kitchen to follow and make a recipe. This is a great example of a measurement activity. Purchase math flashcards (addition, multiplication, subtraction, and division) and math workbooks for them to practice. Teach them to count back change. Make up some math word problems for them to solve. Teach them several ways to solve the problem. Play board games and card games. Teach them how to tell time on an analog clock. Give them word problems about telling time. Every day is a great opportunity to teach math.
Start having conversations with your child about saving money. It is never too early to talk with your child about saving money. Purchase a piggy bank and/or start them a savings account. I have had students who think that everyone has an EBT food stamp card and know nothing about a savings, checking, or money market account. We have got to expose our children to these things so they can have a better lifestyle and know how to navigate society. When you know better, you will do better. Nearly one-half of Americans live from paycheck to paycheck so teach them that you don’t want them to live from hand to mouth which is paycheck to paycheck. You want them to have a purpose-driven life full of good health and prosperity.
Keep a summer journal. Have your child write in a journal on a daily basis and share their summer adventures and trips. This gives them the experience of writing down their thoughts and experiences on paper. They can also write a letter to a relative or a friend. Writing is a skill that should be practiced on a consistent basis in order to become better at it. Practice makes perfect.
Visit educational places. Take trips to the museum, historical sites, parks, zoo, monuments, fairs, festivals, Water Park, aquariums, planetariums, beaches, plays, etc. Some of these places have virtual tours that you can participate in online. These places give the exposure that students need in order to learn and grow. You always want your child to have a myriad of educational experiences in order to become a knowledgeable and well-rounded individual.
Sign them up for summer camps. These camps allow your child to develop social, emotional, and cognitive skills. They are going to have to learn how to share, work collaboratively as a team, make decisions, and socialize with others in life. It also teaches them to respect individuals from different ethnicities, cultures, and lifestyles.
Get outside and play. Put those video games to the side and get outside to run, play, yell, and have fun. Play hide-and-seek, dodgeball, run through the water sprinkler, throw water balloons, ride your bicycle, take a walk, drink water from the water hose, etc. Be a kid. Kids should exercise during the summer months and not sit inside all day.
Volunteer or help a person in need. Teach your child the importance of helping others and giving back to the community. This will teach them how to care about others and the true meaning of gratitude. It also gives them the satisfaction of helping someone in need.
Instill in your child the mentality of being a lifelong learner. Teach your child the importance of obtaining a quality education along with growing, learning, and exploring new challenges and experiences. Set expectations for them and frequently discuss what is expected of them. If they want to achieve and be successful, they must become lifelong learners. They should not become complacent or stagnant in life. Every day is an opportunity to evolve and learn something new and exciting. Praise them for their accomplishments, big or small, and tell them they are smart, talented, and able-bodied. They can do whatever they put their mind to doing.
Allow opportunities for creativity. Children need space and time to explore their imagination and sharpen their critical thinking skills. Allow your child to draw and paint during the summer months. Do some fun science experiments with them. Children are born curious so you want to challenge them to think outside of the box and learn who they are. Allow them to ask questions and try new things. This allows them to find out their talents, skills, and abilities. Our children are the future and we must prepare them for our global world. Let’s start by bringing back the “village concept” and ensuring that everyone does their part.
BIO
Dr. Shanessa Fenner is an elementary principal. She has also been a middle school principal. She is a writer for many publications that include Up & Coming Weekly, Women’s View, Sheen Magazine, Array Magazine, Consciousness Magazine, The Fayetteville Press Newspaper, Bronze Magazine, OTC Beauty Magazine, Way To Parent Magazine, and several more publications. She has also written pieces for Jet, Black Enterprise, Black America Web, and Essence magazines. She had a blog with The Fayetteville Observer Newspaper called “Shanessa’s Hot Topics.” Dr. Fenner is also a print model, motivational speaker, actress, and has her own TV show “The Bronco Exchange” on channel 7. She is a former radio personality on KISS 107.7 FM and had her own radio show entitled “Real Talk with Dr. Shanessa Fenner and was co-host of a radio show called “iTeach.” Dr. Fenner is also an adjunct professor.
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