As we find ourselves three weeks into our well-deserved summer break, I’m excited to share the incredible activities we’ve been enjoying. Whether you’re seeking fresh ideas to engage your children in meaningful learning experiences or simply looking for some summer inspiration, I’ve got you covered. In this blog, I will be sharing with you the five things we are doing to keep the kids engaged and provide meaningful activities that spark interest and curiosity. Let’s dive in!
1. Building Computer Literacy:
My goal is to develop a strong sense of computer proficiency in my children. This involves equipping them with essential skills such as typing, on-screen navigation, basic internet awareness, creating Google slides and presentations, and introductory coding. To enhance our typing abilities, we utilize the user-friendly platform typing.com. By creating an account, we can access their comprehensive program that guides us from beginner to advanced typing skills. Additionally, numerous websites offer free coding tutorials, enabling us to delve into this discipline. Here is one that we will be exploring.
The Why
In today’s rapidly evolving world, our children must easily navigate technology. Rather than perceiving screens as solely harmful, educating them about the various benefits technology offers is crucial. By imparting these skills, we empower them to explore the positive aspects of technology and its potential.
2. Poetry memorization:
In classical education, rooted in the ancient Greek and Roman learning models, memorization is highly regarded as a key element for cultivating deep knowledge. By emphasizing memorization, classical education lays a strong foundation that supports subsequent phases of learning, enabling the application of acquired knowledge to vital cognitive skills such as reasoning, critical thinking, logic, and rhetoric. This educational practice proves particularly effective when foundational knowledge is instilled during the formative years, providing a robust framework for future learning endeavors.
I intend to help my children not only build the skill of memorization and develop the cognitive abilities that come with it but also expose them to art through poetry. We are using the Poetry memorization program from IEW. I remember memorizing the poem ‘The Daffodils’ by William Wordsworth as a child, which gave me an appreciation for the beauty and elegance of the daffodil flower, one of my favorites. This summer, my hope is that they will develop a genuine love and appreciation for the things they choose to memorize.
The Why
I was not too fond of rote memorization as a child because there was a lot of it in the academic setting in India. I know better now and understand the value of it to our cognitive abilities. Not only does it enhance cognitive skills such as attention, concentration, and mental agility, but the retrieval process strengthens neural connections and improves overall brain function. When done right, it can be an effective method to learn.
3. Artist study
Leah Boden’s book, Modern Miss Mason, has left me inspired. Within its pages, she delves into the topic of cultivating culture by embracing art, music, poetry, and other fine art disciplines. I believe an appreciation for the arts is an acquired taste that develops gradually over time. I am eager to introduce my children to various artists and their works in the hopes that by exploring the artists’ backgrounds and the inspiration behind their masterpieces, my children will gain a deeper understanding of it. As part of our summer plans, we intend to visit one or two museums that align with our artist studies, enriching our cultural experiences and fostering a greater appreciation for the world of art.
The Why
Charlotte Mason emphasized the importance of art, music, and nature in a child’s education. She encouraged regular exposure to great works of art, classical music, and time spent outdoors in nature. These experiences were believed to foster a sense of beauty, wonder, and connection to the larger world, contributing to the cultivation of culture. I highly encourage you to look into this and see how your can offer your child many reasons to admire beauty in many ways.
4. Bible Study
Encouraging Bible verse memorization at a young age is the best thing you can do for your children. This year we are doing the summer Bible study from National Bible Bee. It teaches kids how to study the Bible and includes lots of memory verse memorization. You can do them independently or join a local group as you go through the program.
The Why
God’s word is powerful and necessary for all Christ believers who need his wisdom. The Bible is the living word that breathes life into us and guides us to do the right thing. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says that “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” If you are ever wondering what the purpose of scripture is, look no further than this verse.
5. Reading
I wrote a blog recently that delved into ways to promote summer reading among children. One of our primary objectives this summer is to explore a wide variety of new books, so I’ve implemented a reward system to incentivize my kids’ reading progress. This approach has proven particularly helpful for my youngest, who is still developing his reading skills and prioritizes play over reading. By offering incentives, I can motivate him to engage with books and cultivate a love for reading throughout the summer. I also created a summer reading Bingo to get my kids to read various books and genres. In addition, we are taking part in a few other summer reading programs. Don’t forget to check out full details on my blog.
The Why
There are so many reasons why we need to encourage our kids to read, and here are just a few. Firstly, it enhances their language and communication skills, improving vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure. Secondly, it develops their cognitive abilities, such as critical thinking and problem-solving. Lastly, it expands their knowledge, exposing them to diverse ideas, cultures, and perspectives.
In addition to the above-mentioned activities, we are also maintaining our homeschooling routine, focusing on core subjects such as Math and English Language Arts (ELA).
What are you doing this summer?
