EDUCATION MATTERS—SANFORD SCHOOL'S PRIVATE SCHOOL BLOG

Every year, students excitedly wait for the arrival of summer, a time when they get to escape the routine of school and try something new. Though the anticipation of summertime freedom can be exciting, often, when summer arrives, kids get tired of having nothing to do and bored with the lack of routine. A great way to get out of a summertime rut is to plan day outings for the whole family. Here are seven fun things for you and your family to do this summer in Delaware.

Engage your kids in learning throughout the summer with a variety of experiences to help them to continue their growth and prevent learning loss. If you have a phone or tablet, apps can do more than keep them busy. It is important to select apps that engage your child, strengthen their skills, and promote learning. In addition, make sure to balance screen time with playtime to help your child to create a healthy relationship with technology. 

As the school year comes to a close and the end-of-school events fill every waking hour, it can be easy to forget what lies ahead. While the children are getting more and more excited to have three months with no obligations, the parents see the inherent danger in the situation: the kids will be joyous for the first two hours of their newfound freedom and lamenting about their boredom for the rest of the time. Rest assured, this parental dread of summer is not uncommon or unrectifiable. It is a simple matter of planning things for your children to do. To the parents who want to avoid three months of television watching for their children, fear not; here are a few programs to help keep your child engaged over the summer.

Earlier this week, I had one of my weekly conversations with my sister. She has two teenage daughters and a younger son named William. Her girls have always been eager readers, impressing me with the conversations around the novels they have read. As she and I were talking, she mentioned that William was sitting right next to her reading a book.

“So,” I asked, “What is he reading?”

“Well,” she paused and answered, " all William reads is non-fiction about world history. I’m sort of alright with it, but shouldn’t he be reading fiction too? He is missing out on so many wonderful stories.”

I answered, “He’s interested in world history, that’s wonderful! Let him read whatever he wants. ”

When the school year ends, there is often a celebration of students’ year-long achievements. But when students walk out of the school’s door for summer, what happens over the next 10 weeks can be just as important. As a parent and educator, I wonder what I can do for my children to keep them academically engaged and not just staring at a screen.  While there are options to fill every perceived need a child may have from day camps, sports camps, overnight camps, religious camps, and STEM camps, summer enrichment programs may be overlooked by parents.  Parents often want their children to maintain academic readiness or continue to move forward.  While younger students collaborate in reading and math groups, high school classes are offered to broaden one’s experience or allow focus on preparing for college testing.  

When looking at an institution to supplement academic gains, there are four items to consider: