Parents and students should attempt to find engaging ways to keep using your reading and writing skills over the holidays. Keeping a blog / diary or writing lots of postcards to friends and family can help stop that summer slip.
READ things they find INTERESTING ! - it doesn't have to be 'War and Peace' to count - if they express an interest then help facilitate them in reading. Even i it is too hard for them - help them with the bits they can't do but then get them to read the bits they can. Then discuss it and what they found interesting about it.
Cartoon templates : writing diaries or letters may feel a lot of 'unfun' work, but a new set of colouring pencils and a printed cartoon template (they can also cut pictures out of magazines if they don't feel their drawing skills are up to the task) - http://www.printablee.com/post_cartoon-template-printable_290348/ Colouring books - some of the beautiful new colouring books inspire both mindfullness and increase fine motor control. While it might not be as good as writing it does increase penmanship and control which will improve handwriting.
Jigsaw Puzzels - this is a good way of practicing both visual memory, and mental rotation. It can be quite difficult to sit and focus on a puzzel for a long time but if you start with a smaller number of pieces with an interesting graphic they can build up their 'staying power'. This may have a postive impact on their ability to maintain their concentration in the classroom when they go back in September.
Equally holidays often mean long car journies - or times without electronics.
This can be a time to engage with games that can help mold our thinking.
20 questions - asking a family member to guess an item in 20 questions helps develop top down processing skills and encourages using logic - as well as supporting their memory.
http://www.wikihow.com/Play-20-Questions
I Spy with my little eye...........
something beginning with .....
something ending in.......
something with 'ai' in the middle
Aways give the phonic sound of the letter to young children rather than the name of the letter ( - i.e. 'ah' rather than 'AYYY' ). This can help fill time over a long car journey while also helping with spelling.
I went to the shops and I bought ........
this is a memory game which can be made easier or harder though limitations. It is easier to add restrictions such as 'in alphabetical order' or 'only foods' it can be made harder by removing those limitations.
Give them a go - they are a fun way to help extend your kids abilities without feeling like you are imposing work during their holidays.
