Summer’s for slowing down, not shutting down. Last week I shared with you thirteen fun activities that can keep kids’ math skills from atrophying over the summer. Today, here are twelve more. These are among the most popular tips from the Dr. Rick Blog’s summer series, and you’ve asked me to repeat them. Here they are. Add them to last week’s thirteen. [More]

There’s a ton of research on summer learning loss; Google it, and you’ll see all kinds of studies that verify what our common sense tells us. Kids without brain-stimulating summer activities can lose a quarter of the skills they’ve just mastered in school. And for some reason, math skills are the quickest forgotten.

Here’s a list of thirteen suggestions you can try. [More]

Summer’s for slowing down not shutting down. That’s the summer mantra at the Dr. Rick Blog. Last week we discussed some cool summer reading activities specifically for the “hams” in the family, those kids who enjoy being in the spotlight. Today, let’s focus on those quieter kids, the ones who just need our gentle and continuous encouragement to keep up their reading skills while still having summer fun.

Here are a few reading ideas I know will work; they've worked for the kids in my life for years. In the next couple of summer weeks, we’ll discuss other skills – math, spelling, writing – but for now, it’s reading. [More]

Here are some amusing projects that are guaranteed to appeal to the hams in the family, your fledgling entertainers, comics, and tragedians. Theses projects all have reading at their core. We know that reading is one of the fundamental skills – maybe the fundamental skill – we want to encourage when school’s out. [More]

For the next several weeks, we’ll be discussing enjoyable summer activities that will keep kids’ minds and bodies active. They’ll help keep math, reading, and writing skills sharp, too, although I strongly advise against telling the kids that. I’ll share, in some detail, ideas I’ve developed over the years, some ideas from other parents and teachers, and some ideas that seem promising. [More]

Here’s what I do with groups to encourage and nurture independent thinking. Before, during, and after teams work together, a little bit of quiet reflective time helps immeasurably. [More]

Ask adults what skills they want their children to have, and I’ll bet among the top ten will be something along the lines of “the ability to work and get along with others.”

Working effectively, productively, and civilly with others is necessary in school, at work, in the neighborhood, and at home. Educators work to get kids to learn with and from each other, bosses work to get their employees to be productive together, and moms and dads work to keep the household running with everyone pitching... [More]