Putting the Wind in Your Sails

Nourishing children’s confidence through an immense educational ocean.

Academic Fun for the Holidays:
Engaging Activities to Keep Kids Busy!

• ❆ Holiday Reading Challenge

  Encourage a love for literature by organizing a holiday reading challenge. Create a list of age-appropriate books, both fiction and non-fiction, and challenge your kids to complete them during the break. You can even turn it into a friendly family competition with rewards for those who finish the most books or explore different genres!

• ❆ Science Experiments at Home

  Turn your kitchen into a makeshift laboratory and embark on some exciting science experiments. Simple activities like creating a volcano with baking soda and vinegar or growing crystals can be both educational and entertaining. Explain the scientific principles behind each experiment to make it a learning experience.

• ❆ Math Games and Puzzles

  Make math fun by incorporating games and puzzles into your holiday routine. Board games like Monopoly or Scrabble can enhance mathematical and language skills. Online platforms also offer a variety of math-oriented games that cater to different age groups. Consider setting up a family game night dedicated to stimulating those numerical brain cells.

• ❆ Creative Writing Workshops

  Encourage your kids to unleash their imagination through creative writing. Organize short story or poetry workshops where they can express their thoughts and ideas. Provide interesting prompts or themes to inspire their creativity. Not only does this activity enhance their writing skills, but it also fosters a love for storytelling.

• ❆ Virtual Museum Tours

  Take advantage of the digital age by exploring virtual museum tours. Many renowned museums around the world offer online experiences where kids can learn about history, art, and science from the comfort of their homes. It’s an interactive and educational way to expose them to different cultures and periods.

• ❆ Learn a new Language

  Introduce your kids to a new language during the holidays. There are numerous language-learning apps and online platforms that make acquiring language skills engaging and enjoyable. Set aside a specific time each day for language lessons, and perhaps even try cooking a traditional dish from the culture you’re exploring!

• ❆ DIY Science Kits

  Invest in DIY science kits that are readily available in the market. These kits often come with all the necessary materials and instructions for conducting various experiments. It’s a hands-on approach to learning scientific concepts, and the excitement of creating something themselves will keep kids captivated.

• ❆ Geography Scavenger Hunt

  Transform geography lessons into an adventurous scavenger hunt! Create a list of countries, landmarks, or geographical features, and challenge your kids to find pictures or information about them. This activity not only enhances their geography knowledge but also hones their research skills.

• ❆ Online Coding Classes

  Coding is a valuable skill in today’s tech-driven world. Enroll your kids in online coding classes or use coding apps that make learning to code enjoyable. Many platforms offer interactive lessons designed for different age groups, making it a fantastic way to introduce them to the world of programming.

• ❆ Holiday Journaling

  Encourage reflective thinking and writing by starting a holiday journal. Ask your kids to document their experiences, thoughts, and feelings during the break. This not only enhances their writing skills but also provides a personal keepsake of the holiday season.

Turning Homework Into a Happy Habit: A Parent’s Playbook

• Consistency and routine

  This is imperative and should be non-negotiable. Like it or not, homework is an important aspect of children’s education, and if approached correctly, is more than just consolidating the work completed in school. Good study habits instilled at a young age translate into more independence in middle school and high school, and even beyond. Children thrive when they know what to expect.

  Try setting a schedule or time aside everyday (this most often works best if it is the same time) to complete homework, and try to keep it brief. 20 – 30 minutes works best. For some children this may be after a snack and some down time, others may work best as soon as they get home, and others maybe after dinner, or before bed.

• Teach children how to be organized

  If their school has academic planners, encourage children to use them! If not – buy one, or better yet, have them make up their own. Teach children to write down assignments, homework, and when they are due. Refer to this nightly/daily. Again, this reinforces skills that will become invaluable in many different aspects of life. It will also help when they genuinely forget what their homework is.

• Create a homework space

  Above everything else it should be stocked with all of the necessary materials (paper, pens, pencils, glue, etc.), and be free from distractions. Make homework time a cell phone, TV, computer free time. Unless of course utilizing technology to complete the work. More and more school districts are relying on technology in schools and at home.

• Motivation

  Be genuinely interested in your child’s work. Ask questions about the work they are completing. Ask if they can teach you the methods they are using. Let’s be honest, Common Core can be confusing at times and in Math for example, you may even learn a new way of problem solving – there are some great methods that are far superior to the old-school ways we all learned.

  Praise good work, and make sure everyone remains positive. This can be one of the single biggest determining factors for success. It will help build their self-esteem, make them feel great about themselves, and translate into an even better effort into their schoolwork.

• Have patience

  At times learning can be confusing, frustrating, and complicated. All children learn differently, at different rates, and in different ways. Having a positive, patient attitude will go further to support your child’s learning than getting frustrated yourself.

• Know when to ‘throw in the towel’ and ask for help

  You may be wondering why I included this as a strategy. Surely it seems counterintuitive. However, this can be a powerful tool in making sure children remain positive and motivated to complete homework in the future. As I mentioned above, a normal homework assignment is never designed to take hours upon hours. It helps no one and does more harm that good to try and persevere through a marathon session or sessions.

  Don’t hesitate to follow up with the class teacher and try to get to the root of the problem. Was it a one off experience, or is there a deeper issue or concern making the struggle an everyday occurrence? Understanding the cause of the problem makes it much easier to remedy.

Buying Local Podcast:
Everything You Need to Know About Home-Schooling

10 Ways Parents Can Help Start the Year Off on a Positive Note!

• 1. Encourage Reading

  Reading is the foundation of all learning, and will assist development in every subject. Model reading and help develop good reading habits. If your child sees that you value reading, then they are more likely to read themselves. Be sure to discuss what your child is reading, and ask questions to develop comprehension skills. Find books or topics that your child is interested in, and read a little bit everyday. Constantly provide new and exciting books and make sure to utilize your local library! Weekly trips to the library can be an exciting time and a great alternative to technology!

  The bottom line is…read, read, read! And don’t forget the value of reading aloud to your children! 

• 2. Talk With Your Children

  Speaking and listening plays an important role in school success. Hearing parents talk and responding to talk helps build crucial language skills children need to do well.

  Try this simple technique. Make dinner time a TV free, computer & tablet, cell phone, and technology free time. Life is getting busier and busier all the time, but take this time to sit down at the dinner table and talk about your day. Set the ground rule that everyone must contribute one interesting aspect of his or her day. Talk to each other and listen to each other. The outcome of this simple activity can have astounding results on a child’s speaking and listening skills. 

• 3. Daily Math Practice

  Make math fun. Cooking, gardening, paying bills, shopping, etc. are all good ways to practice math. Ask your children simple questions to develop money sense. For example, next time you are at the store ask your children how much change you will get if you purchase your items with a $20 bill. Better yet, give them the money and ask them to pay the bill. Ask them to count the change to ensure that it is correct.

  Teach children about the value of math and try to point out all of the ways it is used in the world. One big aspect of the Common Core is to make math practical. Also, don’t forget about basic facts practice. Times tables practice is especially important for children!

• 4. Monitor TV & Computer Use

  Technology can be a very valuable resource for learning. However, too much can be a detriment. Encourage your children to read, play outside, play a game, etc. and they will learn valuable language skills and social skills. Most importantly, set boundaries and always monitor your child’s technology usage to ensure safe, high quality content that will foster learning, rather than hinder it.

• 5. Encourage Independence

  Whenever possible, let your child figure things out for themselves. Let them know that making mistakes is ok! Mistakes are how we learn.

  Have them think problems through carefully before asking for/receiving help. The ability to become independent learners is a skill that will serve your children well for their entire lives.

• 6. High Expectations

  Always set high expectations for your children, and never falter from them. Parental expectations play a very important role in the academic success of your child. Expect your child to do well and your expectations will be met!

• 7. Learning Environment

  Homework and schoolwork can be a stressful and challenging time in any family. Provide your child with a suitable learning environment to complete schoolwork. This includes school supplies (pens, pencils, paper, ruler, calculator, etc.) and most importantly, a quiet place to work, which is free from distractions.

• 8. Consistency & Routine

  Children thrive when they know what to expect. Try setting a schedule or time aside everyday (it is often best if it is the same time) to practice schoolwork. Keep it brief. 15 to 20 minutes works best. Perhaps try 15 minutes of math practice before dinner and 15 minutes silent reading before bed. This can be an especially important strategy when fighting the homework battle.

  Try to develop routines for completing homework and stick to them. When possible, set the expectation that homework must be completed before the night before it is due.

• 9. Praise & Compliment

  Constantly look for ways that you can tell your child how well they are doing, how impressed you are with their work, etc. This will build their self-esteem, make them feel great about themselves, and translate into an even better effort into their schoolwork.

  The only caveat, make sure the work is truly good quality. You want your children to take pride in completing their work to the best of their ability and have a sense of pride in a job well done.

• 10. Have Patience & Don’t be Afraid to Ask for Help

  At times learning can be confusing, frustrating, and complicated. All children learn differently, at different rates, and in different ways.

  Having a positive, patient attitude will go further to support your child’s learning, than getting frustrated yourself. If necessary, don’t be afraid to ask for help. There are thousands of other parents in exactly the same position as you! Common questions include: How can I help? What do I do? How will I know if I am helping in the right way? How much is enough?

  Your child’s school or teacher can be a tremendous help for parents looking to supplement their child’s learning at home. They will often give advice on activities to practice at home to support classroom work, and answer any questions that you have. Other valuable sources may be hiring a private tutor, asking at the local library, and keeping up-to-date on local educational activities taking place in the community.

  Just remember…you are not alone.

• Conclusion

  The beginning of a new school year can be stressful for parents and children alike. Consistency and developing routines are paramount in making the transition as painless and as smooth as possible.

  By following the simple strategies above, you can ensure that you have set your children up for success and reinforce healthy habits and a positive attitude to school.