Avoid the Summer Slide - Tips for Summer Learning

1. KEEP YOUR CHILD HEALTHY AND SAFE
• Continue healthy eating habits- enjoy fresh vegetables and fruits
• Remind your child to wear a safety helmet when riding bikes and 4-wheelers
• Obey safety rules for swimming, hiking, and camping
• Get plenty of rest; wear sunscreen; and drink water everyday

2. READ 20 MINUTES EVERYDAY
• Take time to visit the local public library at least once a week and participate in storytime
• Engage your child in reading for fun- choose topics of interest
• Use electronic devices to read: computers, Nook Reader, Kindle, iPad
• Listen to audio books on CD

3. WRITE 10 MINUTES EVERYDAY
• Start a summer scrapbook
• Start a summer journal
• Write notes to family members
• Make Birthday cards or Get Well cards

4. KEEP PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS SHARP
• Practice math problems in the grocery store or on other shopping trips
• Make decisions or solve a mystery: give your child choices
• Do science experiments in the kitchen or garage Engage your child in fun activities that will stimulate his thinking and keep his mind active and learning. Remember to be safe and have a wonderful summer vacation time with your child.

Advice to Parents from Teachers at the End of the School Year

As we come to the end of the school year, parents can be very helpful to teachers during this time. Here are a few tips that teachers want parents to know about helping their child’s classroom prepare for the last few weeks of school.

• Sharpen pencils: stop by the classroom once a week and offer to sharpen classroom pencils to fill pencil boxes.

• Help around the classroom: an extra set of “hands” are always appreciated for: filing papers, organizing homework folders, and reorganizing classroom libraries, making copies, and wiping down desks and tables.

• Restock the supply closet: supplies are getting light at this time of the year so how about offering to supply tissue boxes, paper towels, sanitizers, and basic supplies that can be used for projects (colored markers, crayons, construction paper, etc.)

• Be a reader: offer to “buddy read” with students in your child’s class. This will encourage reluctant readers to have a parent to share in their reading time.

• Lead a small group: offer to work with small groups or individual students in: sight word drills, spelling practice or practicing math facts.

• Record your child’s favorite stories: read stories to your child and record them on a CD or MP3 player and offer to share them with your child’s teacher. She can set these up in a listening center in the classroom for other students to read and follow along in the book.

• Deliver a “treat” on a hot day: as the school year winds down, the temperatures are rising. Maybe you can offer to bring fresh fruit or cold drink boxes in on a hot day for a treat for the students.

Talk to your child’s teacher about any of the above opportunities that you would like to participate in for the class. You are strengthening your child’s connection with the school when you volunteer your time to help the classroom teacher. The teacher will appreciate any offered assistance at this time of the year. It will be a lasting impression on the students, as well.

Counting the days until summer? Use the calendar as a learning tool!

Now that we are coming to the end of another school year, before you throw out the old calendar, use this as a teaching tool to help your child with number sense skills.

1. Months of the year: your child needs to know the follow facts:
• There are 12 months in a year
• Name all of the months in order
• Use the ordinal words when naming the months: first, second, third, fourth, etc.
• Use the terms before and after to describe the relationship of months in order: October comes before November and after September

2. Days of the week: your child needs to know the follow facts:
• There are seven days in a week
• Sunday is the first day of the week
• Use the words before and after to describe the relationship of days: Monday comes after Sunday and before Tuesday
• Know the terms: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

3. Even and odd: your child needs to know how to:
• Recognize the even and odd numbers

• Count by even numbers: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 etc.

• Count by odd numbers: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, etc.

• Count by ones, fives, and tens

4. Digits: your child needs to understand that numbers are “digits”

• The numbers 0-9 are single digit numbers

• The numbers 10-31 are double digit numbers (or two digit numbers)

• The digits have place values: 0-9 are in the ones place

• Two digit numbers, represent the tens place and the ones place on the place value chart. (this concept will help when your child learns about the Hundred’s Thousand’s place on the Place Value Chart)

5. Number Value: your child can learn the value of numbers

• Counting the digits on the calendar is the came as counting objects

• The digits on the calendar can be compared to the value of coins: 1= a penny or 1 cent or .01. 5= a nickel or 5 cents or .05. 10= a dime, or 10 cents or .10. 25= a quarter or 25 cents or .25. To make this realistic, use real coins when comparing the digits on the calendar.

Now you have some ideas for using your old calendars for helping your child learn more about number sense skills and calendar facts. Another tip: use the calendar pictures to generate vocabulary growth by describing the scenes with picturesque words.

Teacher Appreciation - Simply Stated, Budget Friendly and Long Lasting

It is National Teacher Appreciation Week and here are a few suggestions for showing teachers your appreciation in a simple yet lasting way.

Teachers want to be recognized for their hard work and dedication to student success. When considering teacher gifts or recognition, here are a few ideas that have brightened teachers’ day over the years;

1. Chocolate: teachers appreciate little chocolate treats after a long day. Simply place a small chocolate bar in their mailbox or have a treat basket available during a faculty meeting.

2. Small gifts: such as, decorative note pads, cool paper clips, or water bottle. Even consider giving out a roll of student stickers. Teachers often use their own money to buy incentives for their students. This small gesture shows them that you realize how much they care about their students.

3. Gift cards: small gift cards to local book stores or school supply stores will also be appreciated by teachers.

4. Certificates of recognition: give your teachers a certificate that shows your appreciation of their hard work. Design the certificate suitable for framing. Make it an honor to hang in their classroom.

5. Thank you notes: teachers always appreciate it when someone says “thank you” for their dedication to student achievement.

Teachers work beyond their contracted hours and many times feel taken for granted that they are always available. Just a few simple signs of appreciation can go a long way to encouraging good teachers to stay in the profession.