Summer Learning
Summer Learning
Find a list of schoolsWritten by Garth Nichols, Assistant Director of Personalized Learning at Greenwood College School and founder of Cohort 21. Read more
Written by Garth Nichols, Assistant Director of Personalized Learning at Greenwood College School and founder of Cohort 21. Read more
Toronto, Ontario — Our goal is for SCS students to understand learning as an outcome in and of itself. Learning that doesn't follow a straight path. And if it gets messy, that's okay, because at SCS it's safe to explore and be who you are. View School Profile.
Grades:
1 to 12 (Girls)
Type:
Liberal Arts
Tuition:
$34,500
Living:
Day
Enrollment:
460
Avg. Class:
16
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Belleville, Ontario — At Albert College, every student is an 'A' student. From Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12 our students experience all 5 of the Albert 'A’ s; Academics, Arts, Athletics, Active Citizenship and Adventure programming. View School Profile.
Grades:
PS to 12 (Coed)
Type:
Traditional
Tuition:
$18,700 to $75,400
Living:
Boarding/Day
Enrollment:
303
Avg. Class:
15
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Toronto, Ontario — The Bishop Strachan School is a leading independent JK-Grade 12 day & boarding school for girls. Students build the academic skills to thrive at university and beyond. Over $2 million available in financial assistance. View School Profile.
Grades:
JK to 12 (Girls)
Type:
Progressive, Reggio Emilia
Tuition:
$35,800 to $69,145
Living:
Day/Boarding
Enrollment:
1000
Avg. Class:
18 to 20
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Toronto, Ontario — Bond Academy is a private, co-educational, non-denominational independent school with students from Montessori Casa to Grade 12. Our educational process is Beyond the Books! Education as it should be. View School Profile.
Grades:
PS to 12 (Coed)
Type:
Liberal Arts
Tuition:
$13,500 to $16,800
Living:
Day
Enrollment:
350
Avg. Class:
15 to 18
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Windsor, Ontario — JK- 12/IB/AP , inter-faith/R.C.co-ed day, and boarding located in Windsor, ON Family of Schools includes Nursery, Elementary and Secondary Schools, athletic facilities, performing arts wing (music and dance studios). View School Profile.
Grades:
JK to 12 (Coed)
Type:
Traditional, International Baccalaureate
Tuition:
$10,950 to $50,000
Living:
Day/Boarding
Enrollment:
250
Avg. Class:
10 to 16
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Toronto, Ontario — As a Cambridge School, we teach a curriculum that sets the global standard for education designed to help students develop an informed curiosity and a lasting passion for learning. View School Profile.
Grades:
JK to 12 (Coed)
Type:
Traditional
Tuition:
$19,975 to $27,860
Living:
Day/eSchool
Enrollment:
210
Avg. Class:
5 to 10
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King, Ontario — The Country Day School offers a challenging post-secondary preparatory program for students in JK-12 where all are welcome. Our 100-acre campus is located north of Toronto in King, Ont. View School Profile.
Grades:
JK to 12 (Coed)
Type:
Traditional
Tuition:
$31,250 to $32,250
Living:
Day
Enrollment:
795
Avg. Class:
17
|
Toronto, Ontario — Crescent School is a Toronto independent day school for boys in Grades 3 to 12. Our relational learning environment develops students' characters through academics, arts, athletics, business, outreach and robotics. View School Profile.
Grades:
3 to 12 (Boys)
Type:
Progressive
Tuition:
$39,590
Living:
Day
Enrollment:
800
Avg. Class:
16 to 20
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Toronto, Ontario — Prestige School offers programs from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12 in Toronto. Its average class size is 10 to 18 students. View School Profile.
Grades:
PS to 12 (Coed)
Type:
Traditional
Tuition:
$14,500 to $18,000
Living:
Day
Enrollment:
290
Avg. Class:
12 to 18
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Crestwood Preparatory College offers a university preparatory program for students in grades 7 to 12. Crestwood always strive to Inspire Excellence and to Nurture the Individual.
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Elmwood School is Ottawa's pre-eminent school for girls from PreK to Gr. 12. Our high academic standards, small class sizes and safe, supportive environment ensure that each girl is inspired to reach her full potential.
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Blyth Academy The Glebe focuses on personalized education, small class sizes, and strong student support for Grades 7-12. Big experience in a small school! Part of community of nine Blyth Academy campuses in Ontario.
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SPIRE ACADEMY is an international, high school and post graduate sports performance training and education academy, located within a world class event and wellness complex.
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Private Secondary School in Stratford, Ontario dedicated to providing a holistic education that values happiness, academic excellence, personal growth, and social responsibility.
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College Prep International, a traditional private school in Montreal, offers English instruction with partial French immersion, for grades five to twelve. Its average class size range from 12 to 18 Students.
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GNS is an independent JK-12 International Baccalaureate boarding and day school in Victoria, BC, that empowers and supports each of our students to do their best through truth and courage in learning and in life.
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La Citadelle's Excellence in Bilingual Education and academically advanced curriculum develop successful global citizens through IB & AP programs and a holistic approach where students achieve their highest potential.
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Our Academy (in-person) and Studio (online) personalized programs are designed for students with a diagnosed learning disability to achieve their potential through outstanding support within and outside the classroom.
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Our belief is “Forward Learning. Transforming People”. We focus on developing 21st century learning skills through collaborative discussions and inquiry-based thinking to prepare students with global competencies.
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Learning is not one to many. It's many to one. From the teachers to the principal to the coaches and beyond, learning at WillowWood is a team approach.
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We are different! As a leading IB World School and university preparatory school with a focus on student life, SJA students are inspired to confidently make their mark in the world.
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Our unique, daily Advisor Program ensures every student is surrounded by a strong network of highly qualified, dedicated faculty and staff whose mission is to provide academic, emotional, and social guidance and support.
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Blyth Academy Lawrence Park is one of nine Blyth Academy campuses in Ontario. Our campus located in midtown Toronto provides the warmth and community of a neighbourhood school.
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Niagara Christian Collegiate offers both middle school and secondary school programs from Grades 6-12. Graduating students achieve top university placements around the world. We accept both day and boarding students.
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Prestige School offers individualized programs from pre-school to grade twelve in Richmond Hill with an average class size of ten students.
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We go beyond curriculum expectations to provide opportunities for students to earn admission into their choice of university using our AP accreditation, staff expertise and individual goal setting in small classes.
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Markham, Ontario; IB School; OSSD; OSSD online credit course; NOIC ACADEMY’s annual university enrolment rate is 100% and more than 85% of graduates are admitted by University of Toronto.
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Dewey’s educational goals follow the philosophies of John Dewey, preparing students through “student-centred learning" and "learning by doing", while emphasizing the cultivation of the "three New Liberal Arts".
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Nile Academy offers small class sizes and a low student-to-teacher ratio, while also following the Ontario Curriculum, ensuring our students are well prepared for the rest of their educational pursuits here in Canada.
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Heritage Academy provides a multisensory learning environment and supports students with Dyslexia, ADD, ADHD, and Anxiety in Grades 1 -12.
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A private Christian college prep school with students from 60 countries, providing students with a unique opportunity to learn high academics, faith education and multicultural immersion.
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Bishop's College School is an English boarding and day school for students in grades 7 through 12. Small in size and culturally diverse, BCS is an IB World School offering the IB Diploma Programme and Canadian curricula.
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Ontario Virtual School is an Ontario Ministry-inspected credit-granting institution offering Grades 7-12 courses in an interactive online format. Students can start anytime with 24/7 access.
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Our safe and supportive community challenges and inspires the minds, hearts, and voices of our students enabling them to define and achieve their own version of success and make positive differences in our world.
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Trafalgar Castle offers a close-knit, academically challenging environment where girls feel a strong sense of belonging and discover their unique talents and interests.
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Canada’s only independent, Catholic school for boys in Grades 7-12, taught in the Basilian tradition of forming the mind, body, and soul. Since 1852, we have educated students in goodness, discipline, and knowledge.
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At Vaughan College instructions are embedded with strategies appropriate to the students' unique needs. We develop students' confidence and their urge to do better, which results in a high university acceptance rate.
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Aurora Montessori offers an enriched Montessori program for students, Toddler to Grade 8, with an option of an OSSD credit in Grade 9 Math. A unique Mindfulness and Technology program develops key 21st-century skills!
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Through our dynamic individual education plans, mentorship, and therapeutic counselling we ensure all students feel comfortable, respected and cared for, so they stay actively engaged in their educational journey.
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At Blyth Academy Mississauga, we know each of our students and through our individualized approach, we can meet their needs and make school a great place to be. We're one of eight Blyth Academy campuses in Ontario.
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De La Salle College is a Catholic, co-educational, university preparatory school in Toronto from Grade 5 to 12, with an average class size of 20 students and tuition at $16,300 - $16,900.
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A place where every learner is seen, heard and empowered to make an impact in their communities. An unparalleled online learning experience, providing academic excellence, experiential learning and personalized support.
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Building on internationally acclaimed preschool reading success, SLI has grown into a hub for ground-breaking student achievement in literary, STEM, and artistic achievement across Pre-K - Gr 6 (offered on site/ online)
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Flexible, techy environment. Freedom of choice. ALL ABILITIES welcome and no ideals taught outside the scope of academia. We are a COMMUNITY of incredible future leaders with innate creative genius!
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Since our founding in 1896, we have nurtured the unique talents and passions of our students to help them become the leaders of tomorrow, forming them into men and women for others.
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Collingwood creates opportunities for our JK to Grade 12 students to excel. Our four strand approach is delivered through a comprehensive educational experience that is collaborative, interdisciplinary and relevant.
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Keystone students become internationally-minded inquirers, who ask questions and seek their own answers through both local and global perspectives. By nurturing students’ natural curiosity, we foster a love for learning.
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Set in 220 acres of North Yorkshire countryside, Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate welcomes girls and boys from 3 months old to 19 years, with 81% A*/A achieved at A Level. Fees range from £16,005 to £19,200 per term.
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Quo Vadis, through a Polish-English bilingual program, aims to assist in the formation of well-rounded, responsible individuals, promotes academic excellence and encourages self-esteem within a Catholic environment.
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We understand the importance of developing a well rounded individual. Our Tech, Art and Sport Expert Streams are integrated with the Academic curriculum to amplify our students’ growth into capable and confident adults.
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Magnificent Minds Inc. caters to students whose needs are not being met in traditional school environments, pursuing personal best through a balanced approach to education.
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Founded on the science of neuroplasticity, Arrowsmith Program provides students with the skills necessary to overcome their learning disabilities and transform their academic, cognitive, emotional and social lives.
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Wise Owl is dedicated to providing an educational, safe and enriching that fosters the uniqueness of each students and motivate them to become resilient, emotionally support, responsible, respectful global citizens.
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Don Valley Academy is a private high school whose primary aim is to prepare our students for post-secondary studies. We are dedicated to providing educational programs that meet the individual needs of each student.
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Columbia International College is Canada’s largest private boarding school, offering Grade 9 to 12 programs. #1 in scholarships awarded by universities. The University of Toronto's official Global Partner School.
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With a 40-acre campus, Aspengrove School teaches the International Baccalaureate curriculum through a team of passionate faculty committed to providing an exceptional educational experience for their students.
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Edelweiss Private Academy offers elementary education to students with ASD and other exceptionalities, maintaining small teacher to student ratios. We promote strong academic, physical and social-emotional development.
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At Haven, we equip our students with critical thinking skills, a global perspective, and a respect for core values of honesty, loyalty, perseverance, and compassion.
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Alexander Academy is a private high school offering the BC Dogwood High School Diploma and a unique University Transfer Program in a culturally rich and academically challenging environment.
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Heuristic & autodidactic, inspired by Sudbury & democratic models. Students are self-directed, and holistically empowered. Voluntary attendance, year-round calendar, agency, & consent inspire free learning. Also Forest
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Unisus empowers global-minded citizens. The PreK-12 school is rooted in the IB/Technology, Entrepreneurship/ Outdoor Education - Offering Day & Boarding.
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Our curriculum are designed to build essential skills and concepts that help with the cognitive, social, creative, emotional, and physical development of your child with the aim to be a successful learner for life!
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Blyth Academy Downsview Park offers outstanding education coupled with unique opportunities for student-athletes to engage in sports-specific and fitness training throughout their regular school day.
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St. Michael’s Choir School was founded in 1937 and provides sacred music for services at St. Michael's Cathedral Basilica. Located in downtown Toronto, SMCS is an all boys school from grades 3 through 12.
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Ridley College is an acclaimed co-educational IB boarding and day school that prepares meaningful and flourishing lives by teaching the habits of mind, body, and spirit, and the values needed to lead in a global society.
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TA’s award-winning faculty are recognized for their innovative teaching practices, learners are engaged, and diversity is celebrated. TA students work collaboratively and independently to reach their full potential.
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Webtree offers individualized education programs which fully support a student’s academic needs, and helps them achieve educational and personal goals. Small class sizes are designed to inspire and engage students.
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Oak Learners inspires meaningful learning every day for students in Kindergarten through Grade Eight. Passionate teachers nurture children’s natural curiosity about their world with hands-on experiences.
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Braemar College offers a warm environment in downtown Toronto for students with high academic ambitions. Flexible terms allow students to join anytime, providing fast and focused pathways into Canada’s top universities.
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Bayview Glen is co-ed, multi-denominational and diverse. Our student, faculty and staff community mirror the diversity of our city. We have a culture of balance and openness that includes valuing different perspectives.
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Sycamore School offers grades 8-12 personalized education in an alternative programs that address the needs of secondary school students who may thrive in a small community of learners working toward graduation.
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Our intercultural environment offers an individualized approach to learning with STEM+A and project based learning as our key emphases. Our students enjoy a dynamic academic & residential life program.
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We are a private school serving grades 5 to 12 whose mission is to provide an exceptional combined educational and sports experience essential for developing high-performance athletes.
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With a tradition dating back to 1899, St. Andrew's remains the single largest all-boys boarding school in Canada. Our 126-acre campus provides our students with an ideal setting for learning and growth.
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At Kells, flexibility is the key. We develop programs allowing students to work within their comfort zone, which may be above, below or at grade level. The result is students who outperform even their own expectations.
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Progressive Academy's programs inspire students from preschool to grade 12 in Edmonton, Alberta. Wonderful faculty, wide range of experiential opportunities and high expectations ignite a desire to learn.
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The Giles School has small class sizes, leadership programs and intensive STEAM learning that support both immersion and introductory language programming in English, French and Mandarin.
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The summer provides an excellent respite from the direct, intense learning during the academic year, and one that is essential for both students and teachers alike. I have written before about the importance of learning over the summer, and have written about incredible programs, like Toronto Brigantine, that expose kids to different types of learning, but I haven't really written about the wherefore and whys of what this type of learning can look like. I was inspired by Harris Cooper's statement that, "We need to dispense with romanticized notions associated with the traditional summer break, look at what's really going on, and consider the consequences. Lots of kids get bored over summer."1
What does summer learning mean?
Harris Cooper, Professor at the University of Michigan-Columbia, states that "We found that kids do forget over the summer. Across the board, all kids lose some math skills."2 To this end, educators talk about summer learning as a less direct, less intense style of learning that is child-centered, more emergent (based on their interests) but still supports the basic academic skills of reading, writing, math and science.
Summer Learning is self or parent monitored. The parents' role is to encourage, inspire, create opportunities, and/or interact with their child(ren) throughout the summer months, but leave the learning to them. There is no marking, no assessment, just good conversation and reflection. The summer learner can track their learning through blogging, tweeting, or writing in a journal.
Why is summer learning important?
It is important for a few reasons. Firstly, in the minds of parents, it is to prevent a plateau or decline of hard earned knowledge and skills. Students work in a learning cycle where their intake of knowledge and skills is practiced, assessed, reinforced and then evaluated. The results of this can diminish over time once this cycle has stopped for the summer. Active learning and practice of reading, writing, math and science can help decrease this effect.
For our students on summer break, we want to instill the habits and disposition that learning is a life-long pursuit, and something that is possible at any and all times. Consider these two important research findings from Today: Parenting: "On average, students lose approximately 2.6 months of grade level equivalency in mathematical computation skills during the summer months. Research shows that teachers typically spend between 4 to 6 weeks re-teaching material that students have forgotten over the summer."3
When and where does it happen?
Summer learning can happen anywhere in the real world, or digital world. It can happen day, night, or over the period of the week. It is really about setting up these opportunities. Summer camps, like Kilcoo, offer unique, single-sex experiences ranging from two weeks to a month for almost any age group. There are excellent camps in cities as well, that utilize parks, paths and streams. Or, you can take part in a Jane's walk, or visit places of historical interest.
Want to keep your child busy and their mind engaged this summer? Find summer education camps and programs near you. →
How can you make it happen?
There are many ways that parents and kids make learning happen over the summer. Here's a list that I've created using the scale of simple to more complex:
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READING |
WRITING |
MATH |
SCIENCE |
Simple: |
Read aloud to your child(ren) and ask them comprehension questions. Don't forget, reading doesn't mean just a book: blogs, newspapers, pamphlets, magazines are all valuable sources of reading material. |
Write a postcard to your teacher about what you've read or where you've been. |
Play "concentration" or simple card games like "Go Fish", or use a deck of cards like flash cards. Don't forget that math is a lot about pattern recognition, so look for those throughout your day. |
Pose questions about the world around you: "Why do sunflowers change positions?" or simply open a bottle of pop and ask why it explodes! |
Moderate: |
Read a book and then add it to or comment on it on goodreads.com |
Help them capture moments and create a story using scrapbooking, or the mobile app Flipagram Keep a journal where they answer a question a day that they, or you, pose. |
Take your kids grocery shopping and count apples, total costs, and more! On your way to a destination, use the highway markers to calculate distance to go, and even time to destination. Make a calculator a necessary road trip item! |
Visit Super Simple Science5 and create a tornado, or a soft-shelled egg that you can eat! Make dinner, and teach them the principles of cooking, boiling, and baking. |
Complex: Requires much pre-planning, time and materials |
Make a mini-novel. Take their favourite book and help them rewrite it into a mini-version: 1) Use blank pieces of paper that are folded into four. Do this 3 times, and place each folded piece inside the next |
Plan a field trip with them. This can be a more expensive endeavor, so help them plan the trip in advance by writing an itinerary. Then, follow up with photos taken during the trip, and then write a review on the destination's website, or on a related trip website like Yelp. |
Get them interested in sports. If they play, get them to tell you what happened in the game by the numbers - teammates numbers, number of passes they made, shots they took, etc… Or, if they don't play, check out how to read a baseball box score6. |
Plant a garden and monitor the water, environment and temperature in a journal, and predict your findings. Read "Barthlolmew and the Oobleck" by Dr. Suess and then create your own. It's a story about climate change that is great for asking and answering questions about the environment. To make Oobleck, just Google it! Here is the Youtube7 and here is a great lesson with questions included8. |
I believe that regardless of the nature of what you choose to do, whether simple or complex, or somewhere in between, it is important that the summer learner is given time to reflect on what they've accomplished. In their paper entitled "Learning by Thinking: How Reflection Aids Performance," a team of researchers from HEC Paris, Harvard Business School, and the University of North Carolina state that when a student reflects by "taking time after a lesson to synthesize, abstract, or articulate the important points…It truly is possible, they conclude, to learn "smarter, not harder"—teachers, trainers, and tutors just have to add a little reflection to their lessons"4. That means that those discussions over dinner, or on the road trip can be some of the most valuable times for family bonding, and for thinking and reflecting.
The research shows that the summer slide in skills and content knowledge is a real thing. I've tried to give you some ideas of how to reduce its effect; however, it is ultimately about creating a life-long love of learning. Parents shouldn't be looking to constantly challenge their children, nor should they let them explore aimlessly. It is about establishing a balance of relaxation and fun, with learning. The most important question that parents can ask themselves as they get ready for summer is along the lines of 'How can I keep my child curious and asking questions?'
If you have any questions or other ideas, please connect with Garth Nichols @Think_Teach or www.cohort21.com
Happy summer learning!
Works cited
1"More than a Hunch: Kids Lose Learning Skills over Summer Months." National Summer Learning Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2014.
2 Ibid.
3 "Stanch Your Kid's Summer Learning Loss." TODAY.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2014.
4 "Study: You Really Can 'Work Smarter, Not Harder'" The Atlantic. Web. 19 May 2014.
5 "Kidz Zone Super Simple Science Section'" Web. 28 May 2014.
6 "Baseball Line Score'" Sport Spectator. Web. 28 May 2014.
7 "Dancing Ooblek'" YouTube. Web. 28 May 2014.
8 Thiesen, Cheryle. "Investigating Matter, Solid or Liquid: Barthlowmew and the Ooblek'" Minnesota Science Teachers Education Project. Web. 23 May 2014.
ERA’s environmental and social mandate [Read more]
Well-being and belonging at Trinity College School [Read more]
Trinity College School’s financial assistance program [Read more]
The progressive Kindergarten program at Hudson College [Read more]
