Summer should feel like sandy toes, drippy popsicles, and long bike rides—not a three-month worry that your child will forget everything they mastered this year. Research shows that most elementary students can lose one to three months of reading and math skills over a long break, and the effect is even bigger for learners with attention, language, or processing challenges. The good news? You don’t need pricey camps, stacks of workbooks, or daily battles at the kitchen table to keep progress alive. With a few deliberate habits—and plenty of play—you can help your child coast into fall feeling confident, competent, and excited for what’s next.

1. Make the Library Your Home Base

A single library card unlocks the cheapest academic insurance policy around.

• Join the summer reading program. Nearly every public library offers a free challenge where kids track minutes or books and earn small prizes. The built-in goal setting works wonders for motivation.
• Let choice reign. Graphic novels, joke books, cookbooks, or gaming guides all build vocabulary and fluency. If it has words and your child is interested, it counts.
• Use free digital perks. Ask the librarian to help you download Libby or Hoopla. Audiobooks are perfect for reluctant or struggling readers—kids can follow along with the print copy while the narrator models pace and expression.
• Attend drop-in events. Craft afternoons, LEGO clubs, and STEM demos sprinkle extra learning into your week without any prep on your part.

Parent tip: Keep a canvas tote by the door labeled “library.” When books are easy to grab—and easy to return—reading happens naturally.

2. Sneak Math into Daily Life

Math worksheets in June feel like punishment; mini-math moments feel like real life.

• Kitchen conversions. Double a pancake recipe and let your child figure out that two ¼-cups make a ½-cup. Measuring reinforces fractions and volume.
• Money talk. Hand over a pocketful of quarters at a yard sale or farmers’ market and let kids budget for a toy or snack. Estimating, counting change, and comparing prices beat any drill sheet.
• Board and card games. Uno, Yahtzee, Farkle, or even War sharpen number sense, probability, and strategic thinking. They’re also perfect for grandparents to play after dinner.
• Neighborhood numbers. Challenge kids to find all the odd house numbers on one side of the street or graph the types of cars parked on your block. Quick, active, and free.

Parent tip: Keep a deck of cards in the glove compartment. Waiting at curbside pickup or the pharmacy is suddenly math practice time.

3. Turn Writing into Something That Matters

The trick is to make writing purposeful rather than perfunctory.

• Postcard pals. Buy a few 50-cent postcards or cut cereal boxes into rectangles, decorate, and mail them to cousins. Writing short, authentic messages beats churning out random sentences.
• Summer journal. A composition book beside the bed invites kids to jot or sketch one highlight a day. Dictation counts—let your child speak while you write, then have them illustrate.
• Lists for living. Packing for a hike? Planning a movie night? Invite children to write the to-do list or itinerary. Real-world use cements spelling, sequencing, and handwriting.
• Comic strips. Fold paper into eight panels, add stick figures, and caption the storyline. Comics reduce the intimidation factor for reluctant writers while reinforcing plot structure.

Parent tip: Stock a “writing basket” with gel pens, sticky notes, stamps, and washi tape. Novel supplies spark creativity, and most items cost under a dollar at discount stores.

4. Explore Science Outdoors (and Indoors on Rainy Days)

Curiosity is free; you just need a place to channel it.

• Backyard bio-blitz. Give each child a magnifying glass and challenge them to catalog every living thing in a square-meter of grass. Compare species counts at the start and end of summer.
• DIY weather station. Use a recycled jar to measure rainfall, hang a homemade windsock (a plastic bag and string), and record daily data on a chart taped to the fridge.
• Kitchen chemistry. Classic baking-soda volcanos or homemade slime never lose their magic. Pair experiments with “Why do you think that happened?” questions to build reasoning.
• Community science. Many parks departments offer free junior-ranger programs or citizen-science projects like bird counts and water testing—learning plus civic pride.

Parent tip: Print a simple observation sheet with “I notice… I wonder… It reminds me of…” prompts. Kids of all writing abilities can log discoveries without a formal lab report.

5. Strengthen Life Skills and Social-Emotional Learning

• Academic growth sticks better when wrapped in real-life competency and resilience.
• Chore charts with a twist. Rotate age-appropriate chores—sorting laundry, measuring pet food, sweeping—so kids practice sequencing, time management, and responsibility.
• Role-play social scenarios. Use stuffed animals to rehearse sharing toys, joining a game, or calming down when frustrated. These micro-lessons pay off on the playground later.
• Mindfulness moments. Two minutes of belly breathing before bed helps anxious or impulsive children regulate emotions, which translates to better focus when school resumes.
• Gratitude jars. Each family member writes one good thing per day on a slip of paper. Reading the collection on Labor Day reinforces positivity and reflection.

Parent tip: Tie privileges (screen time, neighborhood bike rides) to completed life-skill tasks. Natural accountability keeps everyone consistent without nagging.

6. Craft a Light but Predictable Routine

Kids need freedom, but brains thrive on rhythm.

• Morning: Wake-up snack, 20 minutes of reading, quick movement break
• Midday: Outdoor adventure, math-infused lunch prep, quiet rest time
• Afternoon: Creative project or science activity, household chore, free play
• Evening: Family game, journal or postcard, read-aloud wind-down

Use visual schedules—simple picture cards taped to the wall—so even emerging readers know what’s next. For children with executive-function challenges, pair tasks: “First journal for ten minutes, then trampoline time.”

Parent tip: Build in “grace days.” Vacations, visitors, or just extra-sleepy mornings happen. Flexibility keeps the routine from becoming another stressor.

7. Celebrate Small Wins Loudly and Often

A sticker on a chart, an extra story at bedtime, or a high-five parade around the living room says, I see your effort. Recognizing progress—finishing a chapter book, mastering times-table fours, riding a bike without training wheels—fuels intrinsic motivation more than any store-bought reward.

Consider a simple “Summer Showcase” on the fridge. Pin ticket stubs, photos, drawings, or nature finds. By August, your child will see a colorful timeline of everything they learned and loved—proof that summer was anything but a setback.

Preventing the summer slide isn’t about replicating school at home; it’s about weaving learning into the fabric of everyday life. Libraries, kitchens, backyards, and park benches become classrooms, and parents become guides rather than drill sergeants. With choice-filled reading, sneaky math moments, purposeful writing, hands-on science, real-life responsibilities, and a gentle routine, your child can retain—often even extend—the skills they sharpened last year.

Most importantly, you’ll preserve the joy of summer while nurturing the joy of learning. Come the first crisp morning of fall, they’ll step back into school not rusty and anxious, but rested, ready, and proud of all they discovered under the sun.

I hope you have a great summer. Chat soon-

One of the most challenging things to do is build students’ oral language. It’s tough finding ways to build the skill into an already packed day. However, oral language skills impact student’s academic learning throughout their day, finding ways to add it without giving up something else is hard. As a special education teacher I spend a couple of minutes before starting group building these skills. I hope these suggestions help you find ways to build oral language into your day. At the start of each year, I use Total Physical Response with all my students as I build routines and expectations. This is something I pass on to parents because they too can use TPR to build oral language and its easy.

At the beginning of the school year, students need to know key phrases and expressions that they can use to communicate with teachers and students during the school day. Being able to communicate effectively with others is key for learning to take place. With some work, students can develop the type of everyday communication skills that facilitate learning. This strategy called Total Physical Response to help students in these early stages of language development.

Learning key phrases through Total Physical Response

Total Physical Response (TPR) activities greatly multiply the language input and output that can be handled by beginning English language learners (ELLs). TPR activities elicit whole-body responses when new words or phrases are introduced. Teachers can develop quick scripts that provide ELLs and other students with the vocabulary and/or classroom behaviors related to everyday situations. For example, "Take out your math book. Put it on your desk. Put it on your head. Put it under the chair. Hold it in your left hand."

You will see them  talk sooner when they are learning by doing. TPR activities help students adjust to school and understand the behaviors required and the instructions they will hear. This will help them in mainstream classrooms, in the halls, during lunchtime, during fire drills, on field trips, and in everyday life activities.

Strategies: How to use Total Physical Response

There are seven steps for the TPR instructional process:
1. Introduction
The teacher introduces a situation in which students follow a set of commands using actions. Usually props such as pictures or real objects accompany the actions. Some actions may be real while others are pretend.

2. Demonstration
The teacher demonstrates or asks a student to demonstrate this series of actions. The other students are expected to pay careful attention. At first, students are not expected to talk or repeat the commands. But soon they will want to join in because the commands are easy to follow and the language is clear and comprehensible. For example, the teacher gives a command such as "Take out a piece of bread" and the students say the sentence and do the action. "Now, spread peanut butter on it", and so on until a make-believe sandwich is made and eaten.

3. Group action
Next, the class acts out the series while the teacher gives the commands. Usually, this step is repeated several times so that students internalize the series thoroughly before they will be asked to produce it.

4. Written copy
Write the series on the chalkboard or chart paper so that students can make connections between oral and written words while they read and copy (or even substitute ingredients of their choice).

5. Oral repetitions and questions
After students have made a written copy, they repeat each line after the teacher, taking care with difficult words. They ask questions for clarification, and the teacher points out grammatical features such as "Yesterday we ate half a sandwich. Today we will eat a whole sandwich. Did you notice the difference between ate and eat? Yesterday we spread grape jelly, today we will spread orange jelly. Did you notice that the verb spread didn't change? Let's say the words soap and soup. Let's say the words cheap and sheep."

6. Student demonstration
Students can also take turns playing the roles of the reader of the series and the performer of the actions. Meanwhile, the teacher can check on individual students for comprehension and oral production.

7. Other activities

• Use pictures from magazines, the Internet, pictures books. And have students talk about them. Let them take the lead. 
• Before reading a children's story, select some action words and ask the students to perform these actions as you encounter them in the pages. List them on the chalkboard.
• After reading the story, ask children to summarize the story by acting out the words you have demonstrated.
• After reading the story, ask the children to select some words or phrases that they would like to turn into actions.

Building oral language skills is easy and something that can be done on the road while on vacation. Have a great week.

When you read aloud, you’re building their experiences while building vocabulary. Remember, young children can understand many more spoken words than they use. The easiest way to build language is in books that tend to be greater and more diverse than the words we use every day when talking with children. Preschoolers enjoy simple books as well as more complex books, the sound of language. Books with rhymes and nonsense words help to word reading skills.

Froodle
By: Antoinette Portis
It all started with a little brown bird that tired of making and hearing the same old sounds: caw, coo, chip, peep. Instead, it said “Froodle sproodle!” which came as an unwelcome shock to the crow, cardinal and dove. But the small brown bird’s continued wordplay inspired the others — even the crow. Simple, bold illustrations and varied type present a comical tale of individuality and lots of potential for wordplay.

If You Were a Dog
By: Jamie Swenson
Effervescent language and lively illustrations ask readers what kind of dog, cat, fist, bird, bug, frog, or dinosaur they’d be — but since they are not, they can "arrooo! like a dog, hiss! like a cat," or even "chomp, stomp, roar! like a dinosaur" in this playful, imaginative book.

Kitten's First Full Moon
By: Kevin Henkes
Children will delight in Kitten’s mistake. They know that what she thinks is a bowl of milk is really the moon’s reflection. Mostly black and white (and shades of gray) illustration expressively depict Kitten. Children enjoy the visual and verbal patterns throughout.

Little Mouse
By: Alison Murray
When the young narrator feels quiet and cuddly, she doesn’t mind being her mom’s Little Mouse. Other times, she is as strong as an ox or brave and scary like a lion. A child’s daily changing moods are reflected in the open illustrations and simple text.

Llama Llama Mad at Mama
By: Anna Dewdney
Little Llama Llama has a major meltdown when he tires of shopping with Mama in the shop-o-rama. But Mama Llama is smart and figures out how do end the llama drama. The rhyming text shares not only a common experience but a great deal of llama wisdom all told with good humor and rhyme.
Marc Brown's Playtime Rhymes: A Treasury for Families to Learn and Play Together
By: Marc Brown
Twenty familiar and some lesser-known rhymes are just right for sharing. Actions are shown in small pictograms that accompany each line. One fingerplay appears on each double page with gentle, idealized illustration for a collection perfect for sharing.
Maria Had a Little Llama/Maria tenia una llamita
By: Angela Domínguez
Cheerful, childlike depictions of Maria and her much loved llama set the familiar rhyme, “Mary Had a Little Lamb”, in a Peruvian village. The little white llama follows Maria to school, makes the children laugh, but with a distinctive and unique setting and characters in a familiar cadence.
Time-Out for Sophie
By: Rosemary Wells
Exasperated Mama and Daddy put Sophie in time-out when she dumps her dinner and tosses the clean laundry. But when Granny puts herself in time-out during their book-sharing, Sophie straightens up. Text and illustration capture a young child’s tenacious behavior and her adults’ reactions, sure to be recognized by all.

Tippy-Toe, Chick, Go!
By: George Shannon, Laura Dronzek
Can the youngest chick solve the problem and help the family get to their tasty meal of potato bugs and beans? Of course, for only she can run tippy-toe around the fierce — but leashed — dog! Young children will appreciate the youngest chick’s success in this brightly illustrated tale.

Tiptoe Joe
By: Ginger Foglesong Guy
A big brown bear in red sneakers tiptoes fast to invite his friends to "…come with me/I know something you should see." Each animal clops, thuds or swishes to see Joe's surprise: two sleeping cubs with their mother. Told with lively language and humorous illustrations.

Whistle for Willie
By: Ezra Keats
Oh, how Peter wished he could whistle to call his dog, Willie. Try as he might, he just couldn’t seem to make the sound come out — until one day he could! The simple description of a child’s yearning is told in natural language and charming collage illustrations.

Yoo-Hoo, Lady Bug!
By: Mem Fox
A small ladybug loves to hide — and she does it well in each familiar scene. "Yoo-hoo, Ladybug? Where are you?" She's hiding behind the teddy bear, tucked in a box, and other places in this brightly illustrated, rhyming hide-and-seek book for younger children.

These are some of my favorites. My family jokes that I need a 12 step for book stores. But when all else falls I hit the public library who always has a great selection of books to build language. Have a great Monday!

One of the most important math skills students need to learn is number sense. It is the bases for more completed math skills we learn through elementary. I have included some games you can play this summer to build number sense while having fun!

Preschool number activities often involve counting, but merely reciting the number words isn't enough. Kids also need to develop "number sense," an intuitive feeling for the actual quantity associated with a given number.That's where these activities can help. Inspired by research, the following games encourage kids to think about several key concepts, including:

• Relative magnitudes
• The one-to-one principle of counting and cardinality (two sets are equal if the items in each set can be matched, one-to-one, with no items left over)
• The one-to-one principle of counting (each item to be counted is counted once and only once)
• The stable order principle (number words must be recited in the same order)
• The principle of increasing magnitudes (the later number words refer to greater cardinality)
• The cardinal principle   

Common Core Standards These Games Target:

Know number names and the count sequence.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.CC.A.1: Count to 100 by ones and by tens.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.CC.A.2: Count forward beginning from a given number within the known sequence (instead of having to begin at 1).
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.CC.A.3: Write numbers from 0 to 20. Represent a number of objects with a written numeral 0-20 (with 0 representing a count of no objects). K.CC.B:
Count to tell the number of objects.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.CC.B.4: Understand the relationship between numbers and quantities; connect counting to cardinality.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.CC.B.4.A: When counting objects, say the number names in the standard order, pairing each object with one and only one number name and each number name with one and only one object.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.CC.B.4.B: Understand that the last number name said tells the number of objects counted. The number of objects is the same regardless of their arrangement or the order in which they were counted.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.CC.B.4.C: Understand that each successive number name refers to a quantity that is one larger.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.CC.B.5: Count to answer "how many?" questions about as many as 20 things arranged in a line, a rectangular array, or a circle, or as many as 10 things in a scattered configuration; given a number from 1-20, count out that many objects.
Compare numbers.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.CC.C.6: Identify whether the number of objects in one group is greater than, less than, or equal to the number of objects in another group, e.g., by using matching and counting strategies.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.CC.C.7: Compare two numbers between 1 and 10 presented as written numerals.

Most activities use a set of cards and counting tokens. Here’s what you need to get started. Preparing for preschool number activities:

Cards

Cards will be used in two ways, (1) as displays of dots for kids to count, and (2) as templates for kids to cover with tokens. Make your cards from heavy-stock writing paper, marking each with an Arabic numeral (1-10) and the corresponding number of dots.

Make your dots conspicuous, and space them far enough apart that your child can easily place one and only one token on top of each dot. The larger your tokens, the larger your cards will need to be.

In addition, you might make multiple cards for the same number--each card bearing dots arranged in different configurations. For example, one “three” card might show three dots arranged in a triangular configuration. Another might show the dots arranged in a line. Still another might show the dots that appear to have been placed randomly. But whatever your configuration, leave enough space between dots for your child to place a token over each dot.

Tokens

Kids can use a variety of objects for tokens, but keep in mind two points.

1. Children under the age of three years are at special risk of choking, so choose big tokens. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, a ball-shaped object is unsafe if it is smaller than a 1.75” diameter golf ball. Other objects are unsafe if they can fit inside a tube with a diameter of 1.25” inches.

2. Kids can get distracted if your tokens are too interesting, so it's best to avoid the fancy plastic frogs or spiders

Games to play

One you have your cards and tokens, you can play any of the preschool number activities below. As you play, keep in mind the points raised in my evidence-based guide to preschool math lessons:

Start small. It’s important to adjust the game to your child’s attention span and developmental level. For beginners, this means counting tasks that focus on very small numbers (up to 3 or 4).

Keep it fun. If it’s not playful and fun, it’s time to stop. Be patient. It takes young children about a year to learn how the counting system works.

The basic game: One-to-one matching

Place a card, face up, before your child. Then ask your child to place the correct number of tokens on the card—one token over each dot.

After the child has finished the task, replace the card and tokens and start again with a new card. Once your child has got the hang of this, you can modify the game by helping your child count each token as he puts it in place.

The Tea Party: Relative magnitudes

Choose two cards, each displaying a different number of dots, taking care that the cards differ by a ratio of at least 2:1. For instance, try 1 vs. 2, 2 vs. 4, and 2 vs. 5. You can also try larger numbers, like 6 vs. 12.

Next, set one card in front of your child and the other in front of you. Have your child cover all the dots with tokens (pretending they are cookies) and ask her

“Which of us has more cookies?”

After she answers you, you can count to check the answer. But I’d skip this step if you are working with larger numbers (like 6 vs. 12) that are beyond your child’s current grasp. You don’t want to make this game feel like a tedious exercise.

As your child becomes better at this game, you can try somewhat smaller ratios (like 5 vs. 9).

And for another variant, ask your child to compare the total amount of cookies shared between you with the cookies represented on another, third card. In recent experiments, adults who practiced making these sorts of “guesstimates” experienced a boost in their basic arithmetic skills.

Bigger and bigger: Increasing magnitudes

Instead of playing with the tokens, have your child place the cards side-by-side in correct numeric sequence. For beginners, try this with very small numbers (1, 2, 3) and with numbers that vary by a large degree (e.g., 1, 3, 6, 12).

Sharing at the tea party: The one-to-one principle

Choose three toy creatures as party attendees and have your child set the table—providing one and only plate, cup, and spoon to each toy. Then give your child a set of “cookies” (tokens or real edibles) and ask her to share these among the party guests so they each receive the same amount. Make it simple by giving your child 6 or 9 tokens so that none will be left over.

As always, go at your child’s pace and quit if it isn’t fun. If your child makes a mistake and gives one creature too many tokens, you can play the part of another creature and complain. You can also play the part of tea party host and deliberately make a mistake. Ask for your child’s help? Did someone get too many tokens? Or not enough? Have your child fix it. Once your child gets the hang of things, try providing him with one token too many and discuss what to do about this "leftover." One solution is to divide the remainder into three equal bits. But your child may come up with other, non-mathematical solutions, like eating the extra bit himself.

Matching patterns: Counting

Play the basic game as described above, but instead of having your child place the tokens directly over the dots, have your child place the tokens alongside the card. Ask your child to arrange his tokens in the same pattern that is illustrated on the card. And count!

Matching patterns: Conservation of number

For this game, use cards bearing dots only--no numerals. To play, place two cards--each bearing the same number of dots, but arranged in different patterns--side by side. Ask your child to recreate each pattern using his tokens. When she’s done, help her count the number of tokens in each pattern. The patterns look different, but they use the same number of dots/tokens.

The cookie maker: Making predictions about changes to a set

Even before kids master counting, they can learn about the concepts of addition and subtraction. Have a puppet “bake cookies” (a set of tokens) and ask your child to count the cookies (helping if necessary). Then then have the puppet bake one more cookie and add it to the set. Are there more cookies or fewer cookies now? Ask your child to predict how many cookies are left. Then count again to check the answer. Try the same thing with subtraction by having the puppet eat a cookie.

Don’t expect answers that are precise and correct. But you may find that your child is good at getting the gist. When researchers asked 3-, 4- and 5-year olds to perform similar tasks, they found that 90% of the predictions went in the right direction.

The Big Race: Increasing magnitudes and the number line

As your child begins to master the first few number words, you can also try these research-tested preschool number activities for teaching kids about the number line. Games can be very useful for reinforcing and developing ideas and procedures previously introduced to children. Although a suggested age group is given for each of the following games, it is the children's level of experience that should determine the suitability of the game. Several demonstration games should be played, until the children become comfortable with the rules and procedures of the games.

Deal and Copy (4-5 years) 3-4 players
Materials: 15 dot cards with a variety of dot patterns representing the numbers from one to five and a plentiful supply of counters or buttons.

Rules: One child deals out one card face up to each other player. Each child then uses the counters to replicate the arrangement of dots on his/her card and says the number aloud. The dealer checks each result, then deals out a new card to each player, placing it on top of the previous card. The children then rearrange their counters to match the new card. This continues until all the cards have been used.

Variations/Extensions:

Each child can predict aloud whether the new card has more, less or the same number of dots as the previous card. The prediction is checked by the dealer, by observing whether counters need to be taken away or added.

Increase the number of dots on the cards.

Memory Match (5-7 years) 2 players
Materials: 12 dot cards, consisting of six pairs of cards showing two different arrangements of a particular number of dots, from 1 to 6 dots. (For example, a pair for 5 might be Card A and Card B from the set above).
Rules: Spread all the cards out face down. The first player turns over any two cards. If they are a pair (i.e. have the same number of dots), the player removes the cards and scores a point. If they are not a pair, both cards are turned back down in their places. The second player then turns over two cards and so on. When all the cards have been matched, the player with more pairs wins.

Variations/Extensions

• Increase the number of pairs of cards used.
• Use a greater number of dots on the cards.
• Pair a dot card with a numeral card.

What's the Difference? (7-8 years) 2-4 players

Materials: A pack of 20 to 30 dot cards (1 to 10 dots in dice and regular patterns), counters.
Rules: Spread out 10 cards face down and place the rest of the cards in a pile face down. The first player turns over the top pile card and places beside the pile. They then turns over one of the spread cards. The player works out the difference between the number of dots on each card, and takes that number of counters. (example: If one card showed 3 dots and the other 8, the player would take 5 counters.) The spread card is turned face down again in its place and the next player turns the top pile card and so on. Play continues until all the pile cards have been used. The winner is the player with the most counters; therefore the strategy is to remember the value of the spread cards so the one that gives the maximum difference can be chosen.

Variations/Extensions:
Try to turn the spread cards that give the minimum difference, so the winner is the player with the fewest counters. Roll a die instead of using pile cards. Start with a set number of counters (say 20), so that when all the counters have been claimed the game ends. Use dot cards with random arrangements of dots.

Each fall I'm presented with new student who may or may not qualify for Extend School Year 9 months later. Its whats done over the summer that helps students stay where they left and in some cases grow over the long break.  Here are some ideas to try over the break between family trips and trips to the swimming pool.

Did you know that children can lose up to three months of academic progress over the summer? Over 100 years of research continually shows this trend.

Here are ten things you can do to help your child avoid the summer slide.

• Read EVERY day!  Read non-fiction, fiction, ebooks, poetry, newspapers and read out loud! For most children, twenty minutes is an appropriate amount of time to read for a child who is an independent reader. Most libraries have a wonderful summer reading program with incentives and rewards for books read over the summer.
• Cook with your children.  This is one of the best ways to integrate math, reading and following directions.  Let your child design the menu too!  Help your child put together their favorite recipes in a cookbook.
• Plant a garden.  Your child will gain responsibility and pride as they watch their plants grow and thrive.
• Take a field trip to a museum, zoo or local park with walking trails.  Keep a journal about your travels.
• Learn a new word each week!  Hang it on the fridge and see who can use it the most times throughout the week.
• Enroll in a quality summer program that will provide your child with opportunities to build their critical thinking skills.   
• Play quick games with flashcards like Math War or Concentration to keep math skills sharp.
• Listen to Audio Books during your road trip.
• Take pictures and make a summer scrapbook.
• Did I mention READ?!  If your child does nothing else this summer make sure they are reading!

Summer is half over. My piles still abound. All I want is for them is to go away. Is that asking to much? I didn't realize that I brought that MUCH home with me.



I have decided that I need a list. This will help me focus as I'm short on focus and long on enjoying my summer. Here it goes-
1. Guided math lesson plan format using Math Comprehension
2. Data/RTI forms for reading, writing, and math-These need to include WADE, WRS Charting, Acuity, DRA, DIBELS, and Building/Class writing samples; plus anything else
3. Create a working format to use RTI Colored Charts for identified students (maybe with their unidentified group peers). The cards need to be of different colors too. My building uses the three colored pocket charts to identify students across the tiers in reading. I want something for this but for reading, writing, and math.
4. As part of Building Leadership: reread Guided Math and finish Lesson Plan (pink book from Scholastic) This I have to do before our retreat next month.
5. Investigations Math “I Can” Statements and Common Core Checklists for first and third (high needs grades first--then everyone else)
6. Writing “I Can” Statements and Common Core Checklists for second and third (high needs grades first--then everyone else first)
7. Finish CBB plans for reading and math journals to use as examples

Anyone else have a list going of things that need to be done before going back? I hope to get this all done before I have to report but if I spend a little time each day I should be able to get to all of it. Have a great week. Safe travels.

Getting kids to read over the summer is hard. The last two years, we have sent all kids in our building home with 6 "just right" books to read over the summer. We do this in the hopes that all of them will read over the summer because we know that not every student has books at home or a way to get to the library.

No matter how hard I plead with parents and my kids to read, it never seems to work. As they begin the final countdown to Summer Break, I remind them how important reading is and try to hook them up with authors they might like. Plus making sure they all have a library card.

A couple of years ago, I came up with BINGO Summer Reading game to take them through different genre and places they could read over the summer. The ones that do come back get a prize and its added to our PTA sponsored drawing; for student's who did read over the summer.

How do you encourage students to read over the long break? I'd live to hear about your ideas!



Summer Reading Bingo