This summer, the excitement many kids had for their vacation will quickly turn into boredom as they run out of new things to do, stay inside to avoid the heat, and get off their school-year sleep schedule. Recent studies show students spend anywhere from 8.5 – 13 hours a day with media. If you can’t get your child to budge from the screen, suggest they spend a portion of their time plugged in playing a learning game or logging into an online program. Below are a few programs for kids that promote summer learning:
Educational Games for K-12:
- Theproblemsite.com – A database of educational games, daily puzzles, word games, math games and more. Free and accessible to a variety of age groups.
- Funbrain.com – A database of math games, arcade games, kid blogs, and more. This website is appropriate for ages 6 and above.
- Learninggamesforkids.com – A database of educational games for elementary students building math and language skills. But the games don’t stop there. Kids will also learn about geography, social studies, typing, and random facts.
- Quizhub.com – This iPad compatible site makes it possible for kids to take learning wherever they go. Students in K-12 can take quizzes anywhere from primary spelling games to SAT vocabulary quizzes.
Smartphone Apps for students:
- SAT Vocab (apple)
- Open culture (apple)
- Spanish FlashCard BASIC (Apple)
- Mathemagics (Apple)
- 2011 Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing (Apple – most companies want employees to be able to type a min. of 40wpm)
Online educational videos:
- Ted.com – “Riveting talks by remarkable people, free to the world.” Â Students can watch videos or download the speech to an Mp3 player.
- khanacademy.com – If your student wants to brush up on some academic skills, primarily math, lead them to Khan Academy where they can watch free videos and take a self-paced course.
- LifeBound.com – LifeBound’s Virtual Academy is designed to help transitioning students prepare for a successful high school experience through learning social and emotional skills, study skills, self-advocacy and much more. The 45-minute sessions include video, PowerPoint, coaching and reflection questions, and supplemental worksheets. Find out more about how we’re promoting summer learning at www.lifebound.com.
Keeping learning alive during the summer doesn’t have to be expensive, time-consuming or feel like a chore.
One study found that children who read only one new book for three summers in a row, whether it was a classic like the Iliad or a favorite like Twilight, got the same results as students who took three summers of summer school. Summer learning losses are a huge setback to getting the next school year started with kids learning at grade level. Prepare for the next school year by making small changes like introducing learning as a game or getting them involved in a program that gets them excited for the next school year, like the LifeBound Summer Academy.
Let us know how you’re getting your students mentally active this summer in the comment box below.
