Summer Skills

Every summer we would take a family vacation in our station wagon. There were four kids and two parents and all the suitcases and food in this wagon. Kathy and I had the way back where no air conditioning flowed and the only wind came from my older brothers ahead of us. One of my most favorite memories was the summer I had to learn my times tables. I have never been very good at math and so my mother knew I had better learn them in the summer because there was no way I was going to learn them during the school year. Being the youngest, all the older kids were allowed to show me flash cards and it was my job to get it right. If my answer was correct my reward ranged from candy to a good remark and if I got it wrong, well let's just say my brothers could at times be less then kind. They were never cruel but it encouraged me to go through the cards again and again until I had them committed to memory. That whole trip I was badgered with the tables, even at the pool or at dinner or standing in line at an amusement park. So, it is summer and there are students out there who need to learn their times tables or parts of speech or improve their reading skills. We need to help them get ahead to avoid failure and encourage enjoyment. Here are a few websites that may help them to make the most of their time off. 25 Activities to Keep Kid's Brains Active in the Hot Summer Sun from Education World Times Table Flash Cards from Activity Village Summer Reading Resources From Family Education.com Top Ten Skills to Teach Your Kids this Summer The SAT Prep Plan Education World's Summer Reading Lists Abound on the Web