Today we began our final four days of school. While this brings a variety of emotions, it also presents a variety of opportunities!
Educationally, summer can be challenging as there is a potential for learning loss. As we currently have a calendar that potentially has this pitfall, it's important to take action to combat summer learning loss. Here are some ideas:
Check out the public library! If you cannot participate in any of the Porter County Library's summer programs (which starts tomorrow and has opportunities for all ages!) create your own family reading challenge. Pick books to read together, have a family book club, or set a goal for reading for the summer. You can also participate in the Indiana Department of Education's Hoosier Family of Readers which also offers some digital resources.
At BGMS, contact Assistant Principal Adam Metzger to learn more about how to participate in summer learning activities through My Big Campus. This is a great opportunity to potentially minimize summer learning loss and provide students with activities during the summer.
Headed on a vacation? Why not do some research before you head out about the area? This could be a high interest topic for your child and provide some great learning opportunities before you ever leave home! Better yet, have them help to plan the trip!
Have your child start a blog. Perhaps you can provide some topics, or this can be a place for them to write about things that interest them. If you are looking for ideas, here is a list of the best student blogs for 2013.
Be fully present. I think this one should have gone first in the list. It seems these days that it is so challenging to cut away the many things that distract us as we are always connected via our smartphones. Set aside times where you minimize those distractions. Perhaps it's mealtimes or on a ride in the car. Use that time to reconnect as a family and learn from each other.
I hope that you can set some goals for your summer and use this time away from school to reconnect as a family and find opportunities to continue learning. Modeling for students that we are learners as adults can be a powerful example of what we value.