By now, the importance of summer learning is well known. Students of all ages need to keep the cognitive wheels turning in order to maintain their learning momentum and not experience the backward summer slide.

There are an entire summer’s worth of ideas available to keep kids busy all summer long–the sky’s the limit! But don’t let all the options overwhelm you. We’ve chosen our top 3 simple summer activities that should be on every family’s To-Do List. Maintaining academic momentum over the summer has never been easier!

1. READ! READ! READ!

Put less focus on WHAT is being read and focus on making regular, habitual reading part of the daily summer routine.  Novels, comics, magazines, blogs…  it doesn’t matter so long as you’ve got a reading routine. Want to take it to the next level?  Talk about what you have just read. Make connections, and look up unknown words. Research the book online, or draw illustrations for what you’ve just read—the key is to think actively about the reading.

2. WRITE!

Writing is an extension of reading–they go hand-in hand. Whether it’s keeping a scrapbook, writing in a journal, or blogging online, daily writing helps to develop those critical communication skills that lead to great essays and even better grades. Need some ideas about what to write? Start a short story and add to it every day, or simply recount the day’s activities. It doesn’t have to be well-crafted literature to help keep skills sharp. So pick up a pen, and grab some paper and write someone a letter, even if it’s only to yourself.

3. PLAY! 

Don’t underestimate the value of old-fashioned board games and puzzles.  Whether it’s Sudoku, Crosswords, or traditional jigsaw puzzles, games teach necessary higher-level thinking skills such as strategy and planning. Plus, they help develop focus and attention, and often incorporate critical school skills such as math and reading. Best of all, they can offer hours of family-friendly fun with a little  bit of learning mixed in.

It’s report card time!  To help you make sure that your kids end the school year on a high note and understand the importance of making learning learning a part of summer, we created this Report Card Worksheet.

The goal is to track success in individual subjects and set goals for next year–there is even a place to incorporate summer plans.

Print it off and use it as part of your Report Card Discussion.

Click to download file

And don’t forget: all Oxford Learning centres offer free report card consultations with every program, and enrollment for summer programs is now underway.

Canada recently announced it’s first ever  memory champion. Memory might seem an awfully limited field to become a champion in,  but memory studies–and studies of neuroscience and cognition–have all been uncovering some interesting, important, and relevant information about how the brain learns and remembers; information that is useful to brains of all ages.

While remembering the exact order of five shuffled decks of cards or a list of 100 random words might not be a particularly useful skill to the average student, the techniques that the pros use can help even the most forgetful student improve recall for important tests.

According to the experts, memory skills aren’t something that people are born with–like  any other skill they need to be practiced to become perfect.

Here are some of the take-away tips to beat the “Why Can’t I Remember?” Blues:

Tip 1: Visualize it

Create a mental picture for everything that is being studied. Create mental scenarios and imagine yourself moving around in them–a virtual “memory palace” where everything has a place. To recall something, go back into the mental room, locate the “object” and look at it visually.

Tip 2: Study in different spots

Memory uses cues from the external environment

Where studying and learning happens is an important part of the study process, as background sights and sounds can cue recall.   Studying a particularly challenging bit? Move to a new location to help this bit stand out in your mind.

Tip 3:  Move around

The same research also shows that movement can help a memory. Act out a scene with pantomime. Use hand gestures, or choreograph some footwork as you review. There are no rules that say that you cannot shuffle your feet at your desk while writing an exam!

This is also the same reason that creating studying notes is so effective.

Tip 4: Say it out loud

When reading over your notes, read out loud. Then again with eyes off the page. Keep reciting out loud. This is probably one of the oldest and best memory tricks—it existed even before writing did, when stories only existed orally.

Tip 5. Give yourself time to forget

First, give yourself time to memorize something, then wait a few days or a week, and try to remember.  Then, take note of what parts you forgot.  Pay attention to what was forgotten—that’s the stuff that you need to review again… by changing locations, walking around, writing it down, and reading it out loud.

Memory Bonus*

The process of committing something to memory—reading it over and over, writing it down, reciting it out loud, and thinking about it actually helps improve comprehension and understanding. And, understanding is better than memorization any day.

No tricks required.

The end of the school year is an important milestone for students. While the transition from one grade to the next always worth celebrating,  not every grade is marked with the pomp and circumstance of a graduation. However, the end of EVERY grade, whether it is a graduation year or not, is a time for  review and reflection. Along with the final report card, having a School Year Wrap Up is an important way to celebrate the accomplishments and achievements of the past school year, both personally and academically.

Some school years tend to fizzle out…Performing a School Year Wrap Up can help ensure that your child’s school year ends with a bang!

Take stock of this past school year

So the last day of school has come and gone. Lockers are empty,  schoolbags have been put away for the season, and report cards have been read. Now it’s time to take stock of the past school year. Think of it like a yearbook page–an easy way to sum up the year and make make this school year memorable:

Here are some discussion points:

• Favourite subject learned this past year?
• Least favourite subject this past year?
• Favourite teacher?
• Best project worked on?
• Something most proud of?
• Best thing that you read or watched this year?
• What was the most challenging aspect of this grade?
• New friends made?
• Favourite school activity?
• What work do you want to save from this school year?
• What tip would you give other students entering the grade you just finished?

The School Year Wrap Up doesn’t have to be a formal discussion; it can and should be a fun and celebratory way to mark the passing of another grade. Consider going out for ice cream together, and while you’re strolling along, you can also discuss your plans on keeping the learning momentum going for the summer break.

______________

Oxford Learning offers great summer camps and programs for students in every grade. Our summer programs keep kids from falling behind and ensure a stronger start in the fall. Visit our locations page to find an Oxford Learning centre near you,