By Smarty Guest Blogger Fundanoodle
Can you believe it’s officially summer? Parents, teachers, and (most importantly) children are surely excited to enjoy a break from the school schedule but parents may also be a little apprehensive and concerned with how to keep children busy. Hopefully children will be getting lots of time outside and exercise while out of school but what about exercising their minds?
Unfortunately, when children return to school after the nice long summer break they’ve often lost months of learning. Research shows that math is the subject that suffers the most but all the hard work your child has done all year can be in jeopardy of slipping.
The good news is there are tons of FUN ways to make sure your child doesn’t lose the skills gained in the previous school year. And most of them will not require too much effort by either parents or children. Fundanoodle, the education readiness program developed by pediatric occupational therapists, is offering a few suggestions to be proactive about preventing summer learning loss.
Most importantly, READ. Take advantage of summer reading lists provided by schools and summer reading programs offered at your public library and read with your children regularly, especially the younger ones. Never underestimate the power of books to spark imagination, develop understanding of sight words and continue letter recognition.
Encourage writing often. Keep a summer journal and write stories about vacations, camps and other fun summer adventures. A journal not only keeps them working on their handwriting skills but it’s a fun daily activity for almost anywhere. This can be a fun hands-on activity with your younger child or something for an older child to do independently. Having a set time to work on a journal or other writing activity will keep some semblance of schedule in the relaxing summer days as well.
Log off and live. Spend as much time outside getting energy out and moving those muscles as possible. And when taking breaks inside, turn off those iPads and game systems and encourage them to use more productive sources of entertainment. We know touchscreen technology is here to stay and can be a great tool but there is also research that links the increased use in touchscreen technology (especially in young children) with developmental delays. When looking for quiet games and activities reach for things such as Fundanoodle workbooks to keep children engaged, developing important motor skills, and learning. To combat development delay due to using a single finger commonly used with touchscreen devices, Fundanoodle builds strength in the entire hand, which is crucial for handwriting and other everyday activities. With the progression and variety of Fundanoodle products children can pound, cut, bead, rip, lace, trace, write, build, move and even keep those math skills fresh.
Attend camps. Most children have already signed up for some sort of camp this summer involving sports, dance, or exploring other new skills. But there are many great camps that will not only provide a fun way to keep your children busy for a week but keep their minds busy as well. Fundanoodle offers two fun and interactive camps in early August to really get back in school mode. Play the “Write” Way for rising K-1st graders and Cursive Bootcamp for rising 3rd-5th graders are weeklong camps using Fundanoodle’s dynamic approach to teaching. Children will have fun while developing or refreshing handwriting skills needed for the new school year.
To learn more about Fundanoodle’s summer camps or about Fundanoodle’s products designed for 3-7+ year olds visit www.fundanoodle.com. Products range from handwriting workbooks to multi-activity kits all developed for differential learning. And to receive $30 off your camp registration use code FUNCSP at checkout. Click here for more information about camps.
Happy Summer!
