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Tags: Critical Thinking, Grammar, Listening, Reading, Summer Activities, Vocabulary, Writing by Debra
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Turn your hobby into a skill

It’s a good idea to do a little research in the library or online to get a better idea of the responsibility involved in your new summer hobby.

When you take a day class to learn how to make crafts, you will want to be prepared to take measurements.

When you finally get the aquarium to raise your own pet fish, you will want to be aware of the types of food they can and can’t eat, as well as issues such as water quality and what kind of animals make natural enemies.

If you’re taking piano lessons, start listening to music with piano in it. Learn the names of some famous composers.

You might be thinking, “but I’m just doing it for fun,” or “it’s summer, and I don’t want to think.” I’m sure Vera Wang, Jacques Cousteau, or Chopin never had this attitude with their hobbies.

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Tags: Critical Thinking, How To, Summer Activities by Debra
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Make a Budget: Educational Activity

If you or your kids are approaching the age of 16, the idea of a new car has probably been a regular part of the conversation, and maybe talk of getting a job has entered the scenario. If this sounds familiar, do a budget project.

Regardless of whether the car is a gift or it will be earned, find out how much someone will need to work to pay for a car, interest, insurance, and gas. Do research in the paper or online for new vs. used cars, SUVs versus compact cars, traditional motors versus hybrids. Not to mention the amenities such as power everything, GPS, and leather seats!

Even if the reality of paying for their own stuff won’t kick in for a while, it’s never too early to tap into the world of work.

Smart tip: Not only will you have a lesson in finance for you future economics majors, you are also engaging in a comparison/contrast analysis.

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Tags: Critical Thinking, Summer Activities, Vocabulary, Writing by Debra
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Plan a trip for your family

Are you stuck at home because your family said it’s too expensive or too much trouble to go on a trip? Take the stress out of preparation for your parents and plan a day-trip yourself!

1. Write the itinerary

2. Add up costs for food, admission, and gas

3. Give everyone a job to do

Who’s in charge of driving?
Who’s in charge of making snacks?
Who’s paying?
Who’s going to read the map and tell you how to get there?

4. Go!

Smart tip: On the road, calculate miles and gas costs, keep track of time and receipts. How accurate was your itinerary?

[Read more →]

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Tags: Critical Thinking, Summer Activities, Vocabulary, Writing by Debra
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A little competition never hurt anyone…

There’s nothing wrong with a little competition to get motivated. Keep in mind, though, there’s good and bad competition. The rules are: things that you have to buy are not allowed as part of a competition.

Here are some ideas to stay on track with your knowledge, encourage a little challenge, and maintain a good relationship with your nearest and dearest:

Who read the most books in 1 month?
Who could think of the most 5 syllable words in 10 minutes?
Who caught the most/largest fish?
Who came up with the most stimulating science project?

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Museums with a Purpose

First of all, museums are cool. I mean, they’re usually air conditioned. Secondly, they are bountiful in resources that will entice children of all ages. However, for younger crowds, they can be text heavy, quiet and still places that don’t encourage stored energy to be released.

Here’s an idea to turn a museum tour into a game. Before you take your kids to a museum, do some research online about the place you’re visiting and set goals for kids to find certain things. If you’re taking more than one child, have them compete to find the oldest <insert artifact> or the strangest fact about <insert famous historic figure>.

Also, before you go, have your kids talk about, draw pictures of, or make a list of what they already know about the subject and what they think they’ll see when they get there. When you come home, return to the project and see if you can add or change anything.

Smart Tip: Put the ideas on poster board and keep it hanging up in a common area for a couple of weeks to retain the information and the memories!

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Exercise Discipline

For every 1 hour of video games, you should spend ½ hour of physical activity.

If you’re going to waste spend the summer playing video games, make sure you balance it out with an equal amount of physical activity outdoors or at your local youth center. I haven’t done enough research on the educational benefits of video games, but from what I’ve heard, they’re not terrible, but like everything—they must only be done in moderation. Also, don’t snack on salty junk food and sodas while playing.

That’s my opinion, so take it for what it’s worth.

(That goes for YOU, too, Sidney!)

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Tags: Critical Thinking, How To, Summer Activities, Technology by Debra
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Break Something and Look Inside!

Old machines, like cassette players, are being recycled more and more as new technology products are introduced. Well, now is a great time to recycle an old machine into a fun learning experience.

Whatever you do, first make sure the machine is unplugged before, during and while working on it.

Find a machine (old VCRs or cameras are $3 at the thrift store—to give you an idea) and take the cover off with the appropriate tools.
What do you see inside? How does each component make the machine work? Talk about it with a parent or buddy.
Draw a diagram of it and research the different parts on the internet. You can learn a lot about technology this way.
Can you put it back together? If you put it back together correctly, it should work.
ESL students: can you name all the parts of the machine?

Oh, yea. I should mention…I don’t want to get blamed if you want to see how the air conditioner works this summer, so get permission before you attempt this!

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Tags: Critical Thinking, How To, Reflective Teaching, Summer Activities, Vocabulary by Debra
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Read the Newspaper

Traditionally thought of as an “adult” thing to do, kids can read the paper, too. A lot of exciting things are happening in your area, and you have access to all of them if you just open the paper. Here are some ways to make the paper a good read:

1. Headlines only! If you think it’s too long or the words are too hard, try just reading the headlines of your favorite section.

2. One article only! You don’t have to read the whole thing. You can also have your parents set aside an article they think you might like.

3. Look for interesting articles. The paper is not all about adults. The sports section has information about local high school and youth group competitions and the entertainment section has information about your favorite actors.

4. Pictures only! OK…even if you aren’t totally interested in the news, the pictures are pretty entertaining to look at.

Smart tip: We tend to think of literacy as being able to read words, but developing functional reading skills starts with being curious about pictures. Analyzing images develops into reading signs, charts, graphs, and other tools that help us in our day to day activities.

If you don’t believe me, just try to put together a table or drive down the street to see how many images give you critical information.

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Tags: How To, Reading, Reflective Teaching, Summer Activities, Vocabulary by Debra
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How to Keep a Journal

Traditionally a “girly” thing to do, there are many ways that keeping a journal can help both genders of any age keep up with their skills while having fun. The best part is since no one else is going to read it, you don’t have to worry about being graded.

Keep a record of anything (how many fish you caught, how many miles you rode your bike, what your daily video game scores are).
Jot down your daily activities. It doesn’t even need to be a full page. You can write them down in note form.
Write a short story. You could even have it published immediately if you (ask your parents if you can) start a blog.
Keep a list of anything: books you read, new words you learned and want to remember, how many times your mom said “no”.
Document your trips. Even if you don’t go far, write about it! Did you go to the beach? to the museum? to camp? to a class? to the mall?
Write about your friends. Summer is a good time to meet people that you don’t see at school (maybe they’re in another school, maybe they’re in another grade). You may or may not see them again, but keep them in your memory by writing a couple of sentences or a poem about their characteristics.
Record your hobbies. Did you learn about a new kind of lure to catch bigger fish? Did you learn a new pattern to make a cute purse? Is your herb garden growing faster or slower and why? This is exactly what scientists do in the “observation” category of the scientific method.

Do it…write away!

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