As students, parents, and teachers start to relax and enjoy our summer vacation, it is important to remember that kids need some time off. However, keeping kids’ minds active is important. This could be sports or summer activities, but it might also involve reading, writing, and math. Below are some suggestions I have shared with my TAG parents over the years.
Whatever you are doing this summer, please make sure students have time to mentally reset and relax as well.
Reading Suggestions
In no particular order
Bluebonnet Books
The Texas Bluebonnet Award is a unique program that encourages reading for pleasure and is aimed at students in grades 3-6. Each year, 20 books are chosen as the “Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List” by the TBA selection committee.
If students read a minimum of five books from the current master list (or have the books read aloud to them), they have the opportunity to vote for their favorite title during the month of January each year. The author of the book receiving the most votes statewide is declared the winner of the Texas Bluebonnet Award.
Hoagie’s Gifted Education Page – Reading Lists for Your Gifted Child
This is a great website for information for gifted children, their parents, and their teachers. One page is devoted to lists of books recommended for gifted students. A warning – the books are not necessarily leveled and the website can be a bit cumbersome in navigating.
American Library Association
This is a great website to visit and it is published by the American Library Association – the premiere library association in the US. Here you can find the nominees and award winners for…
The Caldecott Medal: The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.
The Newberry Medal: The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.
The Coretta Scott King Book Award: The Coretta Scott King Book Awards Committee is dedicated to celebrating and promoting the artistic expression of the African American experience through literature and the graphic arts. We are excited to celebrate the contributions of Coretta Scott King Book Award Winner and Honor illustrators in a new and exciting way!
Writing Suggestions
In no particular order
This is hardest section, as kids may not really want to write. However, if you have a writer (aspiring, budding, needs the push), then here are some suggestions that might be of use.
Journal Buddies
This site would really like you to purchase their journal, but lists 37 writing prompts that might be of use.
TED-Ed
Several students have expressed interest in exploring fiction writing, which is one of the harder genres to master. If you have a child who wants to become the next Isaac Asimov, J.R.R. Tolkien, or J.K. Rowling, then the following video (on TED-Ed) might be of interest to them. This video is appropriate for older students.
Neil Gaiman, has the following rules for writing that you might want to explore with your child. The most important thing I would emphasize is just to write. Don’t get stuck on the editing – writing should first and foremost be the generation of ideas on paper. Editing comes later.
Neil Gaiman’s 8 Good Writing Practices
1. Write.
2. Put one word after another. Find the right word, put it down.
3. Finish what you’re writing. Whatever you have to do to finish it, finish it.
4. Put it aside. Read it pretending you’ve never read it before. Show it to friends whose opinion you respect and who like the kind of thing that this is.
5. Remember: when people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong.
6. Fix it. Remember that, sooner or later, before it ever reaches perfection, you will have to let it go and move on and start to write the next thing. Perfection is like chasing the horizon. Keep moving.
7. Laugh at your own jokes.
8. The main rule of writing is that if you do it with enough assurance and confidence, you’re allowed to do whatever you like. (That may be a rule for life as well as for writing. But its definitely true for writing.) So write your story as it needs to be written. Write it honestly, and tell it as best you can. I’m not sure that there are any other rules. Not ones that matter.
Article originally appeared on AdviceToWriters
Math Suggestions
In no particular order
For math, activities should focus on the fun use of numbers, not on drill and kill. The websites below are a selection of such fun activities.
Kenken.com
This is a great website for number sense and manipulation. The puzzles can be quite challenging at times, but the students have mentioned many times that they enjoy them.
Calculation Nation
Calculation Nation® uses the power of the Web to let students challenge opponents from anywhere in the world. At the same time, students are able to challenge themselves by investigating significant mathematical content and practicing fundamental skills. The element of competition adds an extra layer of excitement. The site is sponsored by NCTM – The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
Thinking Blocks
Thinking Blocks is a suite of learning tools designed to help students solve math word problems accurately and efficiently. Using brightly colored blocks, students model mathematical relationships and identify known and unknown quantities. The model provides students with a powerful image that organizes information and simplifies the problem-solving process. By modeling increasingly complex word problems, students develop strong reasoning skills which will facilitate the transition from arithmetic to algebra.
Illuminations
This site is also by The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, which is a public voice of mathematics education, providing vision, leadership, and professional development to support teachers in ensuring mathematics learning of the highest quality for all students. With 100,000 members and 250 affiliates, NCTM is the world’s largest organization dedicated to improving math education in preK 12.
Set Enterprises
This is a good site for various games involving reasoning and recognizing patterns and non-patterns.
Greg Tang Math
Greg Tang wrote one of my favorite math picture books, The Best of Times. His website focuses on the fun use of numbers and building an understanding of how those numbers work together.