10 ways to keep kids learning through the summer

Scholastic sent me the Summer Express workbooks to check out, and is also providing a giveaway prize! All opinions are my own.

Summer is almost here. I am so excited. It is great having the kids in school because I can get so much done during the day while they are gone, but I also love having them home and spending time with them. We have sat down and talked about what we want to do this summer and some fun things came up, but also some that surprised me like reading, math, and science. I decided that I was going to implement and “summer home school” program where we sit down for at least 30-mins a day and work on school-related things like math, etc. This would keep kids learning through the summer. Then we would spend 20-30 minutes reading, and then another 30 minutes or so, doing a science project. They got really excited about this.

So I have been tasked with the job of planning it all out so that we have something fun and creative to do every day.  I think I a getting more excited than the kids. In my search of supplies and project ideas, I came across a series of Scholastic’s WEEKLY READER: SUMMER EXPRESS workbooks. These books immediately drew my attention. They are packed with fun-filled pages designed to reinforce academic skills and knowledge through engaging activities. Because each book is targeted to a specific grade level, it helps prevent summer learning loss and in fact, gives them a head start in the coming school year!

The Scholastic’s WEEKLY READER: SUMMER EXPRESS workbooks feature:

• Curriculum-based pages help reinforce vocabulary, grammar, writing, reading, math skills, and more
• Helps prevent summer learning loss and prepare students for the coming school year
• 100 activity pages arranged in a progressive, 10-week format
• Suggestions for quick and easy activities to enhance learning and fun
• Colorful stickers for completing each activity
• Includes a weekly incentive chart and certificate

My kids have all picked out the books they are going to use over the summer and can’t wait to get started. We have a special spot where we keep them so we don’t have to worry about them getting lost. I also keep a basket with pencils, erasers, crayons, scissors, glue, etc in it so they have those on hand when they need them. You can make a “summer school station” in your house too with just a few simple supplies and make sure your kids are dedicating time to it every day.

We have planned a lot of things to do this summer, but I want to make sure that it is education and fun. Here are 10 ways to keep kids learning through the summer:

1. Keep them engaged and learning something new every day
2. Get Scholastic’s WEEKLY READER: SUMMER EXPRESS workbooks to help prevent summer learning loss
3. Plan “field trips” with them and teach them about different things in your area
4. Encourage them to read for at least 30 minutes a day
5. Get them involved in a group or neighborhood play group
6. Keep to a daily routine with integrated learning
7. Limit screen time
8. Encourage outdoor play
9. Plan a vacation to a National Park or State Park and learn about it
10. Encourage them to learn something new over the summer

These are just a few ideas. There are really so many ways that you can keep your kids involved and learning all summer long. The workbooks help so much because it keeps them in that “learning mode” so that when they go back to school they don’t have a hard time adjusting. I also plan on keeping a more normal sleep/wakeup hours than we have in the past so that they don’t get into a bad habit of wanting to stay up late and get up late. Mornings are so beautiful and a great time to be productive.

Find the Summer Express workbooks on Amazon

• Between Grades PreK & K
• Between Grades K & 1
• Between Grades 1 & 2
• Between Grades 2 & 3
• Between Grades 3 & 4
• Between Grades 4 & 5

I am excited to be able to offer a great giveaway! One lucky reader will win a Scholastic Summer Learning Prize Pack which includes: a Complete set of 6 Summer Express workbooks and a Collection of 5 Scholastic books to engage ages 4 – 12.

The Scholastic books that will be included in your prize pack are:

• Ice Cream Summer by Peter Sís
• Little Red’s Riding Hood by Peter Stein and Chris Gall
• The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
• Rules of Summer by Shaun Tan
• A Pet for Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold

Entering is easy. Just wait for the Rafflecoptor to load below. Open to US addresses only. Must be 18 or older to enter. All entries will be verified. The winner will have 24-hours to respond to winning email or a new winner will be chosen. Prizing and samples provided by Scholastic. Giveaway runs from 5/12/17 – 5/19/17

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