how do i help my little girl to keep what she learned in head start over the summer

Clorisse - posted on 07/27/2010

I am not sure if your kids are out of school or not, if they are not the teachers can usually put together a homework package for your children to keep them refreshed during the summer. With my kids I just try to follow the homework schedule the same as if they were in school. Well a little more relaxed I do not want them to feel overwelmed. If school is already out there is alot of different sites u can print worksheets out for your kids to work on.

Deanna - posted on 07/26/2010

You could also try turning your home into a learning environment. Everything you do around the house can be learning in some way. There is no reason it isn't possible. good luck and god bless.

Keyuri - posted on 07/24/2010

I like an emotional intelligence approach. If it sounds appropriate to you, consider asking your daughter what her feelings are about all her learning. Once she identifies what is important to her, you can remind her and also give her positive feedback that might motivate her. It's an "out of the box" approach but works for my clients.
Heartfelt best wishes to all of you.

Mindy - posted on 07/23/2010

talk to them all the time. ask them questions like when you are putting up laundry what is this am folding what colors are on it what shapes point out letters and shapes colors. make everything a game

Melanie - posted on 06/29/2010

You can buy workbooks at a parent teacher store, bookstore, and some grocery stores. Then make it fun. Chose the pages she has the most trouble with, make it fun and then praise her when she completes it. If she didn't get it all right still praise that she completed it and then say something like Can you help mommy work through these problems because I got a different answer. Maybe if we do them together we can figure it out"

I have to do that with all three of mine. Works better than you need to fix these problems.

Jackie - posted on 06/25/2010

Take your children to your public library and let them pick out their own books. Make learning fun and interesting. Limit the television time. You can also go to Walmart and get the grade/age appropriate books for them to work in. The books work wonders with my kids, and they enjoy working in them because it comes with reward stickers.

Almeta - posted on 05/19/2010

If you don't want to spend money there are many links online with free worksheets and other things you need to keep her up to date. ;-)

Renee - posted on 05/12/2010

Everywhere you go can be a learning experience, such as,driving in the car, play eye spy with objects, colors, numbers. Use coins for math, read books together, make up silly songs to go with memorization. Have them help you cook by having them do the measurements, use the clock as a timer to get them to learn to tell time.
One thing my mom used to do when we were little was sing part of a tv commercial jingle and we had to finish it...it helped with memorization. The one I remember her always singing was the Oscar Meyer hotdog song.

Jenn - posted on 05/08/2010

There are tons of books and activities you can get at any book store that focuses on certain grade levels. If you have a Lakeshore store, Learning is Fun, or Scholastic wharehouse by you there are tons of materials that teachers use.

Amanda - posted on 05/06/2010

I agree that learning has to be fun.
First thing that i learnt with my kids was NEVER compare them to other children or each other - all kids are different.
Second thing was that explaining things helped them understand and remember better.
Last of all, and very important - praise - no matter how small the achievement, share the successes with all of your children, and for a really big one - a special treat after dinner, a place to display their achievement, and best of all for my kids - a phone call to their grandparents who love to share these.
All kids learn at their own pace and in different ways, but i found with all of my kids that a hands on approach was best, and great fun.
Cooking is a great way to learn - reading the ingredients and getting them out, reading the instructions, measuring and weighing, cutting things in halves and quarters, counting the number of spoonfuls of ingredients, and then sitting down afterwards enjoying a cup of milk with our freshly made cookies or cupcakes.
Reading to them and with them - while you are reading, have them sit where they can see the words, and follow what you are saying with your finger. Ask if they recognise any words, talk about what the words mean.
I totally agree that talking to your children like they are adults is very important. Also, using the internet in moderation, there are some fantastic learning websites like http://www.abc.net.au/abckids/ that have games and activities based on popular childrens shows like Sesame Street, and Bananas in Pyjamas - a lot of the kids stations like cartoon network, nick jr, and nickelodeon also have these areas for kids, you just need to google the station name to find them - whatever your kids watch on TV, you should be able to find online activities for them.

Cheryl - posted on 04/21/2010

i buy work books for my daughters over the summer we do reading math etc. so they wont forget when they go back to school.practice with your child everyday and once your daughter gets to school she will know what she will be doing.

Vanessa - posted on 04/20/2010

Your children's first and most important teacher is YOU.

You can teach them without them knowing that they are learning. Always talk to your children about what is happening. Use describing words like colors and numbers. ("Look! There are three blue flowers!") Count objects, say the names of things, and speak in full sentances.

Make everything you do with them a fun and interesting lesson. Make shapes out of spagetti noodles when making dinner, or draw simple versions of animals and write their names in big letters underneath, and talk about the sounds they make.

You can not just rely on teachers and the school system to teach your children.

Learning must start at home.

Michelle - posted on 04/15/2010

By making it fun! Book are always recommended. Read daily with your children to help with vocabulary and imagination! Novelty books that are cartoon characters and such keep your children in a bubble. Search for a list of recommended reading for your child's age. If they are behind then go for a year younger. They can learn to read and learn life lessons at the same time.
I am a full time teacher with 3 children but the eldest two are in university. My youngest is 7 now and to keep her going she has her own laptop. I know... controversial but sitting down at a desk all year around is just too much. I could keep reviewing her school books and activity sheets with her but I believe in using as many resources as possible so that she doesn't become just book smart. You know the kind of kids that know whats in books but can't comprehend other materials. I have her signed up with crayola.com, kidzu and a couple of other learning sites which are a lot of fun. I did get her learning computers when she was younger from toy stores but they are so limited. Crayola will give you activities to do with your child that are more than just sitting behind a computer. The most important thing for you to focus on would be phonics! I see so many children suffer and hate reading and spelling because they don't know the sounds of the alphabet. Children should know their letters in upper and lower case but more importantly know the sounds they make and how letters work together. I made the mistake with my own daughter. She has extra reading classes since she didn't master her phonics in kindergarten. Reading, comprehension and a wide vocabulary will only make all subjects easier. As a grade 3 teacher, I see how it affects my students science and social studies grades as well. One of the simplest thing YOU can do is to talk to your child as an adult. Don't dumb down your English just because they are younger. They will have to learn proper English all over which will be frustrating for your child. Good luck!

Amanda - posted on 04/09/2010

most schools offer a summer tutoring program which helps them keep things fresh in thier minds. i do it with my daughter and it usually is like a 4 or 6 week program. or you can order skills books online from amazon that are geared toward your childs age. you can work in the book a few days during the week...