Yes, summer should be fun and a time to explore, run and jump.  But it is important that SOME learning continues as the studies do point out that kids on the average lose one to three months of learning over the summer.

Here are a few creative ways to slip in the learning without them catching on too badly.

1)  Hang out at the library one time per week for a few hours.  If your children don’t have their OWN library card, let them apply for one so that feel more grown-up and independent.  Most libraries sponsor summer reading clubs the can help you children stay motivated.  They also usually have ‘Reading Hours’ where the librarians will read books to the younger aged children.  Summer reading should be fun and so if your student wants to read comic books all summer, just remember that they are reading!

2)  Have a special time each day where everyone (that includes you mom as children learn from example!) in the household stops and reads for a half hour.  Could be right after breakfast before the day gets too crazy or right after lunch or dinner.  And remember that could include you reading to everyone if that is what they want and they are around the same ages.

3)  Let them MAP it!  If you are taking a trip this summer, give your child a map and let them follow along as you drive.  Places have brochures and they can do a little research ahead of time to find places they may like to stop along the way.  Have your kids keep a travel journal of your trip.  Purchase postcards along the way and let the kids write to grandparents about their adventures.

4)  Volunteer!  If your children are old enough you could volunteer as a group at a Senior Center, food bank, etc.  You can also collect needed items on your own (groceries for the food bank with fliers in your neighborhood) and take them over to the facility that is in need.

5)  Use math every day!  If you bake and cook with your children they can learn math skills just be measuring out the ingredients.  Give them little calculators to keep track of the items you put in your shopping cart at the grocery store and/or to figure out what the best price is on a purchase.

There are ways to have fun and keep learning over the summer!

Unfortunately, summer can also be a time when students’ academic skills can decline due to lack of use.  Studies have shown that measurable declines on test scores happen between the end of school in June and the beginning of the new school year in September.

However, with Aim High Tutors, you can participate in all of your favorite summer activities AND at the same time, maintain and even get a leg up on academic skills and test prep!

All of our tutoring is one-to-one and in your home so that specific learning needs and schedules can be met.  We offer tutoring all summer long in a wide range of subject areas and test prep.  We can even help your students with their college admission essays.

1. The student learns at a comfortable pace with materials that can be more interesting and motivational to the individual child;
2. Not as much competition or distractions exist as during the school year;
3. The schedule is a lot more flexible, allowing the child time for vacations, camps, and other breaks;
4. Parents may have increased opportunities to participate in their child’s learning right alongside them;
5. The student gets a jumpstart on school in the fall, or can master a difficult subject or skill from the previous year.

Both you and your child are sure to appreciate the many benefits of any summer tutoring experience!

• Make sure you do some research first.  Have your teen do a ‘virtual’ tour of the colleges she is interested in possibly attending.  Checking out the website can be a great starting point and will help your student decide if the college is worth seeing or not.  Some of the websites even offer blogs by students that offer an insider view.  Some of the criteria to consider is how competitive the school is, academic programs offered, location, distance from home, religious affiliation, all male or female school and the number of students.

• When the list of propsective schools has been narrowed down, you can then find out the policy of each one regarding information sessions and campus tours as well as what days and times they are offered.  Some of the schools will require advance registration either by email or phone.  Let your teenager make the appointments so that they take ownership of the process.  If they do schedule interviews, your student can also schedule those remembering to bring the proper attire for that situation.

• Organize the itinerary.  Limit yourselves to visiting no more than two colleges on the same day–otherwise, it can get overwhelming.  Don’t forget to visit the surrounding areas around the school as that will also be part of your student’s experience should he/she decide to attend school there.

• Don’t take the other sibling with you on the trip unless they are interested also in someday attending that school.  Making other arrangements for younger children would be a smart thing since they can become fidgety and tired and not be able to keep up with the tours offered.

• Parents should try to keep a low profile.  While you are still at home, you can discuss with your teenager different questions that he/she might have about the school but you will want to keep a low profile once you arrive on campus.  Let your child be the one to check in with the receptionist at the Admissions Office and be in control.  Make sure they he/she knows that it is perfectly acceptable to ask any questions after the information session as well as the tour guide as you are walking around the campus.

• Don’t be afraid to wander around.  Feel free to explore the campus more after the tour is over making sure to check out the student union and the cafeteria.  Check out the ball fields or stadium and stop by the academic department that interests you.  Ask students that you meet on campus about the social life, whether they live on or off campus and what they might suggest as far as housing, etc.

Have fun with your teenager.  This road trip is a good time to bond and have fun with your teen as he/she faces important decisions about her future!

I truly appreciate it!
As summer approaches I want to remind you that we tutor throughout June, July & August. We also provide you up to $25 in “curriculum” in the form of study guides and workbooks (per student). Just let us know you will be using our services between June 15 – September 5, 2010 to qualify.

Once a week for one hour is our minimum requirement and we request that tutoring is consistent, a block of weeks is fine – we certainly believe in kids taking a break from school work to clear their heads. We work our schedules around yours so if your child has camp, vacation planned, or sports, we can accommodate you -just let us know what your needs are.

We will do whatever it takes to keep your student on track and ready to begin their next grade feeling confident about their skills; whether it is math facts for an elementary student or essay writing for a high-schooler, we do it all – in your home. Don’t forget we also do SAT and ACT test prep.

Need summer materials? Since we tutor from the schools’ curriculum, we realize that you may not have the right materials for summer tutoring. We provide up to $25 of workbooks and study guides per student in the form of a gift card to Barnes & Noble. I can pick materials up for you, or you can purchase them yourself.

This offer is valid if you use our services anytime between June 15 – September

We would appreciate knowing your plans for this summer and fall. If you would like to take advantage of summer tutoring, email me at aimhightutors@cox.net or call me at 949.249.2130.

Once again, thank you for your business this past school year. We truly appreciate your patronage. We are committed to providing you high quality service and look forward to hearing from you soon!

Oblivescence:  forgetfulness, forgetting

Keep ‘em Busy

A month into summer now and the kids are getting bored?  Here are two fun activities that can occupy them for more than a day and create memories: 

• Broadway Babies.  Have the kids write, produce and put on a play each month.  Check out library books on plays and theater, and have them encourage friends to join in.  If your kids are tech-savvy, let them create movies.
• Memory Makers.  Start a summer scrapbook.  Let youngsters take photos of anything their hearts desire, using a child’s digital or disposable camera.  Have them work on scrapbooks each week.  By summer’s end, they will have a keepsake.

Keep ‘em Smart

Unless the kids are in year-round school, the long summer break tends to be a time when what they learned in class gets forgotten.  The Brain Quest Workbooks for pre-K to fourth-grade students are a way to help kids maintain their sills and learn new ones.  The cover the three Rs along with science, social studies and other topics like “Time and Money” or “Fun and Games.”

* Public libraries: For younger children, many libraries offer story hours and summer reading programs, usually built around a theme, that offer incentives and rewards for youngsters to read. The children’s librarian or the reference librarian can offer suggestions about books that are age-appropriate and match your student’s interests. Visit the library with your child frequently so he can browse the bookshelves and look at the latest magazines.

* Recommended reading lists: The American Library Association (ALA) and Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) are both well-known organizations that provide through their respective websites a wealth of specialized reading lists for all age groups and areas of interest. Check out the following links:

 http://www.ilovelibraries.org/booklovers/recreading
 http://www.rif.org/educators/books/book_list_index.mspx

* Freerice.com: This philanthropic and educational website is a fun way for children, teens and adults to test and build their vocabulary knowledge. The website is designed to automatically adjust to the user’s level of vocabulary. It begins by asking you the definition of a word, giving you four answers from which to choose. Based on how you answer a series of such questions, the program will adjust the level of difficulty upward or downward. When you correctly get three words in a row, the level of difficulty automatically increases. Another interesting feature is that when you define a word incorrectly, you will be asked that same word a few turns later in order to “re-test” you. You can also click on an icon to the right of a word to hear how it is pronounced. FreeRice describes itself as a website that is designed to end world hunger. For every correct answer a player gets, 20 grains of rice are donated to the United Nations World Food Program (WPF). Sponsors make all payments to the UN World Food Program directly. Beware: This is an addicting site!

*  The SAT Game for Dummies: From the well-known “For Dummies” series, this trivia-style board game is touted as a fun and interactive way to prepare for the SAT. The game is designed to be played with multiple players who all have incentives to answer each other’s questions so everyone gets involved on every turn. Competition between players mimics the competitive environment of test day and questions are timed.

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* SAT Vocabulary Novels: These free on-line novels, produced by the folks at SparkNotes, incorporate 1,000 of the most frequently tested vocabulary words and provide definitions. An interesting-dare we say “novel” -alternative to boring old flashcards!

Culinary Projects

Are your children always underfoot in the kitchen? The summer can be your opportunity to teach them how to cook their favorite dishes. Plan out meals, make shopping lists, and hit the grocery store together. Cooking is a fun way to spend time with your kids while teaching them something new. Plus, they’ll have the satisfaction of being able to say, “I made it myself!”

Go to a Museum

At the start of the summer, check out your local museum’s schedule and search for exhibits that your child might find interesting. Mark them on your calendar, and read up on the exhibit and the subject matter before you go. Challenge one another to remember facts and data, and turn this learning experience into a fun day that your child will look forward to.

Summer Scrapbook

Encourage your child to create a scrapbook that documents her experiences throughout the summer. A scrapbook can be more fun – and less demanding – than journaling. Your child can draw pictures, paste in concert or movie tickets, and use bright colors and glittery accessories. This arts and crafts activity will motivate her to stay active so that she will have more experiences to describe in the book.

Volunteer

Check out churches, soup kitchens, or community centers in your area for volunteer opportunities that are appropriate for kids, and encourage your child to get involved. Volunteering will do more for your child than just keep him busy: it will offer him a new perspective and introduce him to new and interesting people. Best of all, he’ll feel good about helping others.

Put on a Production

Let your children experience the thrill of the stage by organizing a play, a film, or a dance with them and their friends. Have the group develop a story idea, write a script, and make costumes. Once the production is ready, assemble family members to watch the performance and perhaps videotape it. This is a fun and creative way for your kids to spend their time, and they can be proud of the end result on show night.

Garden

If you enjoy gardening, share your hobby with your kids. It’s a great way to get your children away from the television and out into the sunshine. Gardening can be hard work, but your kids can help with the lighter tasks, and they’ll enjoy learning about the plants and flowers that grow in your yard. Enjoy making the outdoors beautiful together – it’s a great way to bond with your family!

Summer Festivals

Along with summer come fun festivals throughout the country. Did you know that the teeny town of Spivy’s Corner, North Carolina holds an annual Hollerin’ Festival, where a contest is held to determine the screamer with the most style? In Wisconsin, citizens of Prairie du Sac are challenged to see who can throw cow dung the farthest. You may not find a festival quite as wacky in your local area, but there is sure to be some sort of festival nearby. Take the whole family for a summer celebration.

Take a walk

Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best. Summer weather doesn’t last year-round, so take advantage of the balmy breezes and head out for a stroll with your child. Leave your cell phone at home and enjoy the day. Consider this a chance to chat with your child and find out what is happening in his life.
 

I Spy is one of the first car games your kids will probably ever learn. It’s the kind of game you start playing with kids long before the first car trip. You may have played it for the first time with your little one in the doctor’s office—when you were waiting … and waiting … for your name to be called. It might be one of the first games that pops into your head to keep your child from getting bored. It’s a great game to play one-on-one or in a group.

I Spy with One Child

If you’re playing with one child, you start by saying “I spy with my little eye, something that is …” and fill in with a color. The child is then required to guess what it is you’re looking at. You can pick any color, of course. It’s a great way to help your child build an understanding of colors.

When the child guesses the object, it is then the child’s turn to “spy” something. You keep going back and forth, alternating turns.

If the child is a little bit older, you can use letters. “I spy with my little eye, something starting with the letter B.” If the child knows some basic reading skills, you can easily play this game with him or her.

If one of you never guesses the object and “gives up,” the person who did the spying gets to take another turn.

When I was a kid, we called “Who Am I?” 20 Questions. One person thinks of something—person, place, or thing—and asks, “Who am I?” To figure it out, the other players have to ask questions like:

• Are you an animal?
• Are you blue?
• Do you swim in the ocean?

The person answering should only give “yes” or “no” answers to make the game a little trickier. With little kids, you might want to allow full answers so they don’t get too frustrated with the game.