A , ty ~OIN TERS IOR IBS ER Keep Kids Learning All Summer Long (NAPSA)—It may come as a surprise to some parents—and more children—but vacation time can be a great time to enhance math, reading and writing skills and prepare for the school year. “Students can lose one or two months’ worth of reading and math skills during the summer, which could prove troublesome the following school year,” says Richard E. Bavaria, Ph.D. “Summer is an important time for parents to share in everyday learning activities with their children and help keep them learning.” To help keep children’s minds active during the school break, Sylvan Learning Centeris offering parents a free “Summer Fun and Learning Guide for Parents” activity booklet, available at www.educate.com/activities. Interactive educational projects in the booklet help nurture reading, writing and math skills, are fun for the whole family and include: Plan a vacation. Half the fun of a trip happens before it even begins. Help your child plan, coordinate and keep a travel journal of the family’s vacation. Create a cookbook. Help your child develop a cookbook to share her favorite foods and snacks with others. Have her ask friends and relatives to send her their favorite recipes. (f When school is out, parents and children can easily find fun ways to continue learning. Design a T-shirt journal. Use fabric markers or paint to write notes or draw pictures on a T-shirt. His teachers and friends will be able to see all the fun he had when he wears the T-shirt to school. Plant a mystery garden. Combine and plant a variety of unmarked flower or vegetable seeds. It’s up to her to grow the plants and figure out what they are. Make sidewalk chalk. Use sidewalk chalk to sketch his favorite animals, shapes or hopscotch patterns. For the free guide and a variety of other free activity booklets and writing journals, visit the Web at www.educate.com/activities or call 1-800-31-SUCCESS.
