Engaging Children In Fun Summertime Learning (NAPSA)—Summeris a timefor swimmingpools, playgrounds and riding bikes around the neighborhood.It's also a time when children can lose much of what they learned during the school year. “The summer break can cause learning losses that make it more difficult to understand and retain concepts taught in the next grade,” says Richard E. Bavaria, Ph.D., vice president of education for Sylvan Learning Center. “Fortunately, by engaging children in fun, everyday learning activities, parents can help their children continue learning all summerlong to better prepare them for the new school year.” For parents looking to keep their children’s minds active during the school break, the education experts at Sylvan Learning Center offer the following fun summerlearningactivities: Play the game of math. Using games and activities is a fun way to encourage math discovery in children. Problem-solv- ing skills are developed through games like TriOminos and Connect Four, while some card games begin to teach the lesson of probability. Parents can also download Sylvan’s free math activity booklet, available at www.educate.com/ activities, which contains 30 days of math writing topics, trivia, questions and puzzles that the entire family can enjoy. Help your children establish a lifelong love of books. Transform reading from a basic skill into a pleasurable activity by spending at least one hour per week reading with your child. For help selecting great books to read as a family, visit Book Adventure, a It’s important for parents to keeptheir children’s minds active during the summer. free reading motivation program, at www.bookadventure.org. Children can choose books that interest them the most and take quizzes to earn points toward prizes. Have fun with writing. Journal writing gives children an enjoyable way to practice their writing and reflect on their favorite memories. Parents can download Sylvan’s free online writing journal, complete with decorative pages and suggested summertime writing topics, at www.educate.com/activities. At the end of the summer, children can create a scrapbook madeup of their own unique journal entries about themselves and their family, and finish it with one of three journal covers posted online. For additional summerlearning ideas, visit the website at www.educate.com/tips or call 1-800-31-SUCCESS.
