6 Summer Learning Activities
How can you encourage learning activies, promote problem-solving, and boost confidence in a fun way during summer breaks? Whether you are a parent or a tutor, bridging the summer gap with summer learning activities for kids is probably something you have wondered about. Where do you find summer learning activities that are more fun than a big workbook? How do you engage students in practical activities that are meaningful and fun? How do you avoid the “summer learning slide” and the “I’m bored” complaints? Look no further! Here are 6 educational summer learning activities to help parents and tutors offer educational enrichment in addition to plenty of time to read books. 6 Summer Learning Activities Real World Projects (project-based learning – design a pet-sitting business or ice cream shop or a mini golf course or social media for national parks) https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Shelly-Rees/Category/127822-PBL-Project-Based-Learning-352924 https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Digital-Divide-And-Conquer Digital Escape Rooms/Scavenger Hunts https://www.tailorjoy.com/digital-escape-rooms/ https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Lindsay-Bowden-Secondary-Math/Category/Scavenger-Hunts-384810 https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Digiline-Co/Category/-TREASURE-HUNT-CARDS-658675 Reading Contests/Book Clubs https://www.tailorjoy.com/backyard-book-clubs/ https://www.tailorjoy.com/summer-reading-log-printable https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/browse/free?search=summer%20reading%20challenge Visit your public library Field Trips (virtual or in-person) https://freedomhomeschooling.com/virtual-field-trips/ Life Skills (cooking, laundry, car care, grocery shopping, etc.) https://www.tailorjoy.com/10-life-skills-for-the-launching-years/ Start a family business (sports lessons, tutoring, kids cooking, yard work, car detailing, etc.) https://www.tailorjoy.com/business-basics/ There are so many…
Good Character Never Goes Out of Style
What character trait best defines you? In the world of fast fashion and FOMO (fear of missing out), good character never goes out of style. What is good character? Good character is about your values and motives for making choices not just being a good person. A few good character traits are integrity, compassion, loyalty, respect, responsibility, and courtesy. When people hear your name or your child’s name mentioned, what character traits come to mind? Are they the ones you are proud of? Are there some you need to work on? 5 character trait quiz questions To see where you land on building good character, answer with your most honest answer. Speak to others (courtesy and respect) When the store clerk asks how you are doing Look down at your phone and ignore the question Say “Fine” Say “Fine” and ask the question back, making eye contact Help others (compassion and respect) When you are with friends and a stranger drops a whole box of colored pencils in a busy walkway Staring at your phone, you do not notice Walk by, then laugh about it with your friends Pause and see if the person wants help picking them up Leave…
Summer Reading Log Printable
Where will your reading adventures take you? Grab a summer reading log printable and head into the world of imagination and practical life. Where will you go first? Narnia? Wonderland? The local international restaurant? The treehouse store? Your first summer job? Real-world reading involves fiction, classics, nonfiction, maps, menus, training material, pamphlets, owner manuals, and more. Having a summer reading log printable lets you record your adventures – no matter your age! Why THIS summer reading log printable? Lots of great book logs exist all over the internet, however, I couldn’t find one that had less than a hundred books or art that could be used for multiple ages. That led me to create a summer reading log sheet with just over 20 slots for recording book titles and promoting reading fiction and nonfiction. I encourage my readers and tutoring clients to try real-world reading. I ask them to record the book title and give it a 5-star rating. Coloring is optional. This reading log can be used in the summer or any vacation break. It can be used for individuals, for homeschool readers, for reading groups, for ESL adults, for moms groups, for elementary readers or even high schoolers.…
Teachers Pay Teachers Review
What quality educational resource do you wish you could add to your teacher or tutor toolkit? Teachers Pay Teachers, an online marketplace, is a powerful educational resource for teachers, tutors, and parents powered by educators. Instead of a few supplemental activities that only go with one particular curriculum, imagine the whole teacher supply store, your favorite teacher’s file cabinet, data-driven best practices resources, creative ideas, pretty things, suggestions for every topic under the sun, and the homeschool curriculum conference all in one place! That is Teachers Pay Teachers in a nutshell. What is TPT? I discovered this online resource while teaching elementary school and it became even more useful when I started my tutoring business. I knew how to teach the topics, but I was willing to purchase some fun original educational resources or extension activities for my summer school lessons. With over 9 million resources, this is a treasure trove for buyers and sellers of original educational resources. Teachers may need to fill gaps in the curriculum, post anchor charts, or create warm-up material. There are lesson plans, games, flashcards, room decorations, speech therapy activities, assessments, special education resources, seasonal themes, worksheets, projects, foreign languages, ESL, task cards, classroom…
Cure Senioritis in 4 Steps
When was the last time you got a case of senioritis? What is senioritis and how can you cure senioritis? Senioritis is defined as a decrease in motivation and academic performance at the end of the senior year of high school when the college acceptance letters and final exam exemptions begin arriving. We all know that it’s much broader than that and senioritis strikes older and younger students alike. Even teachers and parents can get a case of the “I don’t care anymore” attitude when the summer vacation or job change is just around the corner. Spring fever is a similar attitude where students lose focus in the classroom because they can’t wait to get outside and enjoy the longer days. They have a “let’s just get this done quickly” mentality. Here are 4 steps to cure senioritis and spring fever and finish the school year strong, plus more resources for additional reading. Go outside This is a game-changer. Did you know that spending 20 minutes a day outside will make you healthier, more productive, and lower your stress level? Whether you are the student, the teacher, or the parent, take some time to go outside each day. Put a…
Benefits of Sustained Silent Reading
When was the last time you read silently for enjoyment? Whether your child has a love of reading or not, there are many benefits of sustained silent reading including developing a love for books and an increased ability to maintain silent reading for the length of time needed for end-of-year testing. Plus, reading takes the reader on adventures and increases knowledge. It’s never too late for someone to become a reader. In my experience, reluctant readers spend more time practicing test-taking skills but not enough time practicing sustained reading for the length of the end-of-year tests. They lose stamina part way through the test and things go downhill from there. Our culture is quick and on the go and when a reading passage is more than a page long, students groan. If it’s several pages long, they tune out after the first one or just skip to the questions and then spend time hunting for answers in a passage they never read, missing the nuances of the test and the complexities of comprehension. Does this sound like a child you know? Whether it is called DEAR (Drop Everything and Read), SSR (Sustained Silent Reading), Quiet Time, or DIRT (Daily…
10 Read Aloud Books for Babies
What is your earliest memory of read aloud books? It’s never too early to start reading to your kids or grandkids, but you may not know where to start. Here are a few tips on how to read books to babies and a book list of 10 read aloud books for babies. Some of my favorite book memories include my mom reading aloud to my kids on vacations and my daughter asking for books at her baby shower. Reading is such an important skill to model and teach. Children who are read aloud to have a head start on learning language skills and vocabulary. It is important for little ones to hear the language and the rhythm and rhymes of read-alouds. It helps establish routines, emotional learning, and bonding. Babies’ attention span might only be a page at a time but do not give up the practice of read aloud books for babies. How to read books to babies Choose books that have large and simple pictures of familiar items. Books designed with stiff, thicker pages are easier to handle at this age or can be propped up at tummy time. Books that are vinyl or cloth are also good…
Yoga Pretzels
What is a quick and easy way to help kids stretch their bodies and increase their patience and confidence? Product Review: Yoga Pretzels Years ago as a young teacher, I purchased a pack of Yoga Pretzels: 50 fun yoga activities for kids and grownups. This card deck has traveled with me to my various classrooms and tutoring sites. It has helped my students and children stretch during those silent 3-minute stretch breaks while testing, gave us fun activities to do during indoor recess, and helped calm the minds of tutoring clients as they transition from school to tutoring sessions. Now my grown-up daughter is borrowing them for her pediatric occupational therapy sessions. Yoga Pretzels are a quick and easy way to help kids stretch their bodies and brains while increasing their patience and confidence. These Yoga Pretzels have definitely been worth whatever I paid for them 15 years ago! A quick search shows they are still available in stores and on Amazon today. The sturdy cards have a picture of the yoga pose on one side and step-by-step instructions beautifully illustrated on the other side. There’s also an instructional booklet enclosed. I briefly talked to my students and clients about…
10 Analogy Types to Improve Thinking
How would you finish this analogy – roots are to trees as _______ is to learning? Analogies provide a good way to practice critical thinking, but knowing the common analogy types will help you avoid just guessing the answer. Analogies focus on word relationships to explain two things by showing how they are alike. Analogies can help map familiar relationships with new information. There are numerous types of relationships, but the most common 10 analogy types are antonyms, synonyms, part/whole, cause/effect, tool/action, category/example, intensity, characteristics, pairs, and object/user. The benefits of understanding analogies are developing flexible thinking skills, enjoying the powerful nuances of literature, and excelling at job interviews and homework help. Below are 10 common analogy types and examples. Analogy Types and Examples Antonym – hot : cold :: wet : dry Synonym – nice : kind :: mean : bully Part/Whole – leaf : tree :: petal : flower Cause/Effect – stove : burn :: rain : flood Tool/Action – keyboard : type :: phone : call Category/Example – clothes : shirt :: silverware : spoon Intensity – freezing : cool :: boiling : warm Characteristic – fish : water :: bird : air Pairs – salt…
Get Detailed Steps To Start A Small Business
What is stopping you from starting the business you have been dreaming about? Are you afraid it is too much work to start a business or that you don’t know what to do to get started? I’ve got the solution. Got a friend who would be SO good at teaching lessons or coaching others but hasn’t made that leap yet? I’ve got a business course and a tutoring workshop. Ready to work for yourself but not exactly sure what line of business to choose? Consider private tutoring or coaching. I’ve got the steps to start a small business. Immediate Access to Course and Checklist Starting your own business IS a lot of work, but fortunately, many of those tasks and decisions can be made once and you will soon be on your way to working for yourself. In my course “Business Basics” I walk clients, just like you, through the main steps of setting up a small business including checklists and lots of little questions for you to consider and make notes about. I spent many hours researching and writing detailed notes about all the things I needed to do to start a business, build a website, get customers, and…