Summer Learning Made Easy: Fun, Simple Tips for Parents

Summer has arrived in Phoenix, and kids across the valley are ready for all the fun that comes with a break from the school-year routine. While a chance to reset and reconnect is essential, parents and educators know how critical it is to balance a well-deserved break with opportunities that nurture and sustain their learning from the past year.

The "summer slide" is a real concern for many families, but keeping their academic skills fresh doesn't have to involve mind-numbing flashcards and boring drills. There are countless exciting and engaging ways to reinforce reading, writing, and math skills, so students of all ages can jump back into school feeling confident, not burnt out. If nurturing those executive function skills is also on your radar, there are ways to make that a part of the summer fun as well.

READING: FOR THE LOVE, NOT THE REPORT!

Summer is the perfect time of year to foster a love of reading without any assigned pages or book reports. Even the most reading-resistant kid can get excited! Here are some quick ways to embed reading into your family’s ‘vacation mode’:

• Library Adventures (and not just for books!): Our local Phoenix libraries are treasure troves of free programs, story times, and summer reading challenges. Let your child choose any book, comic book, or magazine that captures their interest - no judgment. The goal is to get them reading something that they chose for themselves.

• Audiobooks on the Go: Whether it’s for long car rides, hanging out by the pool, or even during quiet playtime or bedtime, audiobooks are a fantastic way to make reading a natural part of your child’s day. They effortlessly expose kids to new vocabulary and share stories without the visual strain.

• Family Read-Alouds: Children of all ages - even teens - generally love being read to. Try taking turns reading chapters from a longer book, or explore a collection of short stories or poetry together. Even better, talk about what you read during and after reading; these conversations help strengthen comprehension and create shared experiences.

• Real-World Reading: Point out signs, browse recipe books, or ask your child to read the instructions for a new board game. By taking advantage of the ways that reading naturally occurs in the world around them, they discover that reading is a valuable life skill, not just a school subject.

WRITING: FOR CREATIVITY, NOT AN ESSAY!

Writing doesn't have to mean academic essays and formal assessments. Even if your child says they ‘hate writing’ during the school year, summer opens the door to rekindling their enthusiasm. Here are a few to get you started:

• Summer Journaling: Give your child a fun notebook and encourage them to jot down their daily adventures, thoughts, or observations. No pressure for perfect grammar – just get those ideas flowing!

• Creative Story Tellers: This can be prompted (with numerous story-starter ideas available online) or given free rein - simply provide a notebook with space for pictures and written text, and see where their imagination takes them.

• Recipe Writers: Have them help you write down a family recipe, or even create their own silly concoction. This can help enhance math skills while navigating measurements as an added bonus.

• Thank You Notes: There are so many benefits to practicing gratitude, penmanship, and writing skills in one go! If your child is an artist, have them create a drawing as an accompaniment to their written expressions of appreciation. 

MATH: FOR REAL LIFE, NOT THE TEST!

Math is everywhere, and summer is the perfect time to highlight its practical applications. This is especially true if you can connect math and play as the powerhouse couple they are!

• Cooking and Baking: Measuring ingredients is a fantastic way to practice fractions and understanding quantities. Doubling a recipe? That's multiplication!

• Shopping and Money: Encouraging math skills through money is a highly effective way to connect their learning to the world around them. Have your child help with the grocery budget, calculate discounts, or figure out the change you should receive.

• Board Games & Card Games: Many classic games like Monopoly, Uno, or even simple dice games involve counting, strategy, and basic arithmetic.

• Time Teller: Help them keep track of time for activities, calculate how long until dinner, or understand schedules.

• Sports Statistics: If your child loves sports, explore batting averages, points per game, or other fun stats.

The goal of summer learning isn’t to ‘school’ children during their much-needed time away - it’s to keep their curiosity, critical thinking skills, and thinking brains active and engaged. The more natural and enjoyable these experiences are, the better!

This fun and low-pressure approach reinforces essential reading, writing, and math skills while also encouraging a positive attitude towards learning. If you ever feel like your child could use a little extra support or a more structured approach to maintaining those executive function skills, Peak Academics is always here to help.

Written by Brandi R.

Stop the Writing Wars: How To Help Your Child Enjoy the Written Word Again

Most parents and educators have heard a child make the tragic declaration: "I hate writing!" Often, the instinct is to reason with that resistance, usually by defending the importance of putting one’s thoughts onto paper (or screen) to communicate effectively. Unfortunately, much like the challenge of reading resistance, forcing the issue can worsen that child’s aversion. 

Yet, the ability to write well is foundational. It drives communication, improves critical thinking, fosters creativity, provides a safe space for emotional expression, and plays a vital role in every aspect of academic success. So, what is the most effective way to gently guide children from that overwhelming and discouraging "hate" to a more positive relationship with their writing? Instead of getting tangled up in a power struggle, here are some effective strategies to help them rediscover the joy and power of the written word.

UNDERSTANDING THE ‘WHY’ BEHIND ‘I HATE WRITING’

When a child says, "I hate writing," what do they truly mean? Before parents and educators can create meaningful solutions, it’s important to understand how that particular child perceives the experience of writing and why it fuels their frustration. Common culprits often include:

• Overwhelmed by the empty screen or page and ‘writer’s block’

• Difficulty organizing ideas and structuring their writing 

• Frozen from the fear of making mistakes and a sense of pressure to produce perfect work on the first try

• Lack of confidence in spelling, punctuation, and grammar 

• Disengagement and boredom with assigned or uninspiring topics

• Physical struggles with handwriting/typing and fine motor skills deficits

• Lack of enjoyment or sense of accomplishment toward writing in general

With a clearer picture of what a child feels towards writing, solutions can be tailored to their unique needs and feelings. A child who struggles with the physical task of handwriting or typing doesn’t need more exciting topics to improve engagement, and the child who is overwhelmed by a blank screen won’t feel any better after additional instruction in writing conventions.

For instance, if your child struggles with getting started or organizing their ideas, it can be powerfully effective to break down these tasks into smaller, more manageable steps that work to build towards a final product. It can also be helpful to encourage them to talk through their ideas first; sometimes verbalizing thoughts helps to better articulate them before trying to translate them to the physical page. Finally, sentence starters or story prompts can also gently nudge them past the blank page's emptiness. Small victories build confidence and help ease anxiety. 

If the struggle lies in organizing thoughts, this could potentially signal a different learning style or an executive functioning skill that needs additional support. Visual tools like graphic organizers, mind maps, and even simple outlines can provide a much-needed framework. With a structure built out, the screen is no longer blank, and the organizational system exists before they start building out the rest of the written content within that framework. 

INTEGRATE WRITING INTO DAILY LIFE

The more writing feels like a natural part of life, the less it will feel like a chore. Here are some effortless ways to embed writing into daily routines:

• Keep a variety of engaging writing tools easily available and visible, such as fun notebooks or colorful writing tools

• Create a comfortable, uplifting, and distraction-free writing space

• Let them see you writing for pleasure and practical purposes – drafting grocery lists, journals, emails, etc.

• Encourage writing in different genres that speak more to their interests: journals, stories, poems, comics, song lyrics, letters to loved ones, captions for photos, or even creating their own games with written instructions

• Encourage imaginative play that asks them to write scripts for their toys, menus for a pretend restaurant, maps for made-up lands, or journals for their adventures

• Write or verbally weave stories together, taking turns adding sentences or paragraphs

• Differentiate the act of writing and the act of editing as separate tasks with their own objectives, praising effort, creativity, and ideas as the priority when it comes to writing

• Explore innovative tech support - such as engaging writing apps, voice-to-text software for those who struggle with handwriting, or collaborative storytelling platforms

Ultimately, helping a child who "hates" writing to re-engage requires empathy, patience, and a willingness to invent creative, uniquely customized solutions. By understanding the roots of their resistance and creating an environment where writing feels less like an impossible demand and more like a joyful means of expression, they can rediscover the power and satisfaction of putting their unique voice onto the page. 

Written by Brandi R.

Encouraging Children to Find Their Voice through Journaling

Guiding our children in finding their unique voice is one of the most important jobs we have as parents. This helps kids build self-esteem and confidence. Of course, there are many ways to encourage voice throughout daily life, but in this blog we focus in on using journal writing as a method for kids to find their voice. The process of writing itself is unique, in that it forces a thoughtful and slower-processing of feelings, emotions, and thoughts. Giving your child a journal is a great way to allow them to experience this. Ultimately, a consistent journal writing practice can help children find their own unique, creative voice in a space free of judgement or rules. Through writing, they can learn to dream, goal set, work through internal conflicts, and become a more assertive and confident individual. Here are some considerations to make when introducing journal writing to your child:

Include Them

Planning a special outing for your child to shop for journaling supplies will add a layer of excitement! You can encourage them to pick out a journal that speaks to them and inspires them to write. You can also invite them to pick out a special pack of colored pens and some items to add creative flair, such as stickers, to make it an enjoyable process.

Keep it Stress Free

We do not want the idea of journal writing to become “just another homework assignment.” Work together to come up with how and when your child will use their journal so that it fits into their daily or weekly schedule and is something that brings them joy. Please remember, journal writing is a safe space for children to be FREE from the rules of spelling and punctuation. It should also be a personal experience for them, not one with you. When your child is able to feel free from stress, more fluency in their writing will follow.

Use Prompts

Children often find it difficult to look down at a blank page and just begin pouring out their deepest thoughts and emotions. Prompts can be a powerful tool in helping your child begin to process their thoughts and find their voice on paper. Using prompts that are written in first person enables the writer to connect more easily with the questions. Here are ten prompts that might be particularly beneficial for your children to use in their initial journal writing:

1. What makes people happy? Which of those things makes me happy?

2. What job would I like to have as an adult and why?

3. How do I know if someone is a good friend to me?

4. What is something I would like to get better at and why?

5. Who is my hero and why?

6. What is my favorite ___________ (insert any noun, place, food, etc. here) and why?

7. What do I love about my family?

8. What has been the happiest day of my life and why?

9. Who is my favorite character (books, TV, movie, etc.) and why?

10. What would my dream vacation entail and why?

Highlight Your Child’s Unique Passions

Here is an activity that might help your child uncover their unique likes and dislikes. Have them share their values by first listing ideas like, “I love it when…”; “I dislike when…”; “I feel sad when…,” etc. Then try to help them match these values to an emotional need. For example, if they wrote “I dislike when I can’t play outside” you could match this to an emotional need of being outdoors. Eventually your child will get more accustomed to expressing these needs verbally. This activity can help your child understand their emotional needs and come closer to finding their own voice in the world.

Writing can be such a powerful tool to highlight one’s unique perspective of the world. You can promote the practice of journaling in your child’s routine and allow them to explore, dream, work and play in a way only possible through writing.

Written by Laine J.