Kid has worked really hard to catch up with her classmates this year. She is very proud of herself and her accomplishments. This is the time of learning magic for her... where one day she can't read something and the next she can. I know that it is important that we keep her going over the summer so she doesn't lose the confidence she has just gained.
I've been working on some simple math and reading lessons that are on track with what she was doing in school. I was up until 1AM last night trying to find fun, appropriate, and free computer learning games online. I was really impressed with this Starfall program. She loved it. She doesn't have a lot of computer experience (they don't use them at school yet) so this was a great reward for her after our lesson was over... and it was a great way to reinforce the letter sounds we had just gone over.
If you're keeping the learning going over summer I'd love to know what you are up to.
8 comments:
I was thinking about the starfall program when I read your post, but then I kept reading...It is really good.
For little easy printable predictable books, you could try this site and see what you like.
http://www.hubbardscupboard.org/printable_booklets.html
Scroll down about halfway to Sight Word booklets. They all build upon eachother. I really like them.
I wish all parents thought like you and kept up with things in the summer! Kid is a lucky girl!
Well I have lots of ideas! Being a teacher I squeeze in extra learning everywhere and anywhere with my son! Hee hee!
Ideas:
Maths:
Weighing and measuring ingredients
Using coins to make amounts of money in play shop, set her an amount to make and she picks out the coins needed and then does a rubbing with crayons and paper
If walking down the street - notice the house numbers and count up, guess which house is coming next
Always spot opportunities, eg if she has some toys out and puts two away, say "You had 8 didn't you, how many do you have now?", that sort of thing.
Reading/writing:
Use magnetic letters to make short words, experiment with changing the beginning or end, eg if you make "jog", change to make "log", "dog", or "jug", etc.
As I don't know how good a reader she is it is hard to advise, but make sure she is saying the sound of the letter, eg for M say "mmm" instead of "muh" or "em", so she can sound words and blend them.
Cut words up into pieces and rearrange them so she has to put them back together
Get out water and paintbrushes and write words outside on concrete on nice days
Make words using play-doh or pastry
There are 2 great computer programmes called Numbershark and Wordshark, I used these for tutoring when my son was about 3 or 4 and he was very interested and wanted to play them too, and he learnt a huge amount from them, I highly recommend them!
They have fun games for reading words, spelling and calculations. They have a website at wordshark.co.uk if you want to see more.
I will see if I can think of any more for later or find you any good links!
Hey, you just started her on languages - 'mit' means 'with' in German :)
See, a totally legitimate word there!
Starfall is a great program!
My boys used that one in their early elementary years. In our public schools you start using the computer in preschool & everyday in Kindergarten.
There was a math one they used too but the name slips my mind.
I found this one in a search
www.mathplaygroud.com
Looks like a good one. They have worksheets & if KID is anything like my boys she likes getting "paper work". ;P
Money counting, learning to tell time, basic math facts, etc.
Another great summer idea is to get her in your local libraries summer reading program. We do that still to this day. It makes going back to school in the fall SO much easier when you haven't gotten "lazy" over the summer months. ;)
HAVE FUN! :)
I am a tech teacher and I create hotlists of great sites for elementary students.
If you get a chance, check out my district page at http://web.ccsd.k12.wy.us/techcurr/index.html and see if you can find some useful links.
PS Starfall is wonderful. :)
Erin,
Thank you!
Kniki,
Thank you for all the great useful ideas :)
Sabrina,
whew ;)
Staci,
Yes Kid is all about the worksheets!
akacate,
Awesome. Thank you so much that is exactly what I was trying to find the other night.
Here are some very good places for worksheets:
http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/
http://www.teachingideas.co.uk/
http://www.teachitprimary.co.uk/
And these have great interactive online teaching activities:
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/maths/index.html
(there is also an English Zone, Science Zone etc)
http://www.coolmath.com/
http://www.coolmath4kids.com/
We were going to do the whole learning/reading thing this summer, but Libby informed me on Saturday (as I was going over the summer reading list her school sent home) that she would not be learning or reading over the summer. This is funny, because Libby is a rising 5th grader that has never in her life had a "B" on anything. She is a voracious reader and usually has to be coaxed (or forced) out of the car when we arrive somewhere because she wants to finish just that last little bit of her book.
Chris and I were really both amused and decided to let her call the shots this summer :)
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