Keep Kids Learning This Summer

Your child's education doesn't have to stop for two months, just because school's out. In
fact, summer offers many opportunities for learning and enhancing your kids' abilities.

Here are some tips to keep your child learning throughout the summer:

• Expand the classroom into the natural  environment of home and community. Take your child along when you go to  the store, post office or library, and encourage his involvement in the  tasks at hand. At home, allow your child to help put away the groceries or  sort the laundry.
• Encourage choice-making. For  instance, allow your child to choose between a day at the beach or a walk  in the park.
• Any outing can offer the  chance to learn. Take your child to the movies, and allow her to practice interaction by ordering and paying for her own ticket and choosing a snack
  from the concession stand.
• Call or go online and check summer schedules for your town's library and/or community center.  Listening to a story with other children at the library allows children to  practice asking questions.
• Set up learning  opportunities ahead of time. If you're going to the beach, for example,
  involve your child in the preparations, such as making a list of needed items, purchasing the supplies, and food shopping. Then take advantage of these opportunities for social interaction.
• When you plan an outing, be sure to develop a schedule of activities and review it with your child. This will reduce unpredictability and give your child a structured day to look
  forward to. Create a visual schedule for children who can't read.
• Attach a learning activity  to each item on the schedule. During the car ride, for example, play some favorite music for all to sing along to. Lunch or other meals could
  include opportunities for ordering and paying for food.
• Practice skills at home  before your outing, such as greeting people and ordering from a menu, if  needed.
• Take breaks that allow for  physical exercise and play, which are both enjoyable and relieve stress.
• For children with emerging language, use an electronic communication device or PECS (picture exchange communication system), to help develop their communication skills – and for a more successful outing.

Finally, if an activity is difficult or becomes frustrating, it's okay to curtail some plans and remain flexible. However, be sure to try the activity again, so the child learns new skills he can use at home, school, and in the community.