Summer is here! Kids have counted down the days until they can get out of the classroom and into the warm sunshine. Moms and dads work hard to plan fun activities for their children to do over the next three months. The summer months quickly become filled with summer activities. For many families, there will be family reunions, swimming lessons, camping, outdoor sports, and summer camps. In the midst of all this fun and excitement, some parents may wonder how they can continue to keep their child’s mind active? During the school year, children’s minds are constantly being engaged and there is a lot of academic growth. It is important to continue engaging their minds throughout the summer months, so that children can continue to grow intellectually.
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The big question is how do parents keep their child’s mind active during the busy summer months? Keeping their child’s mind active during summer seems like such an enormous and time-consuming task to many parents. Here at Totally Tutoring, we have come up with some helpful tips for parents who want to engage their child’s mind. The following three tips take very little time and require very little preparation.
#1 Ask questions
Asking open-ended questions that require your child to think will create curiosity and promote cognitive functions. Question asking can be used in EVERY summer activity and requires no planning or preparation. For example, when spraying sunscreen on your child before their swimming lesson ask, “Why is it important to wear sunscreen? Why do you think the sunscreen protects you from getting burned?” Let your child work through their thoughts with you and listen to their thinking strategies. The neat thing about asking questions is that you, as a parent, will get to gain insight into your child’s mind. Remember that their answers do not have to be right and you do not have to know the right answer. Just help them to get their intellectual juices flowing at every opportunity!
#2 Find answers
Once your child has begun to create their own questions and answers, help them to find the answers! After your trip to the dinosaur museum your child may ask “How are fossils created?” Buy them a fossil book and read it with them. Children are naturally curious. Take every opportunity to use their curiosity as a foundation for learning! If children know that their questions are heard and they know where to find the answers, then they are more likely to want to learn on their own. Pinterest is an incredible resource for basic science experiments and hands on activities to aid you in helping your children find an answer to their question.
#3 Read often
Reading is a crucial skill for all subjects in school. It is so important for children to be confident in their reading capabilities. As you help your child find answers to their questions through reading, they will begin to see the purpose of it. The more they read materials they are interested in, the more they will see that reading is fun! Having your child read for 15 minutes a day will have a significant impact on keeping their minds active and their cognitive awareness.
You are an incredible parent! We know this because you are reading this blog trying to find tools to engage and work with your child. Totally Tutoring knows that lives are busy and it can feel as if there is not enough time. As you ask questions, find answers and read with your child this summer you will find that their love of learning will increase and they will be ready for the new school year in the fall.
And please don’t hesitate to call us if we can aid in their summer learning.
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