Using Technology for Summer Learning

Children and parents who discuss summer learning goals to make decisions and plans together can look forward to a fun, interesting and productive summer. Consider incorporating relevant Internet links into your child’s summer schedule.

The computer can be useful as a tool for creating a calendar, organizing goals and printing academic work. Carefully chosen, relevant Internet links can also provide your child with additional choices that will reinforce and teach academic skills.

It may be helpful to begin your summer planning with a calendar. Check out the links below to find a calendar that suits your family. Find a printable calendar to use and update as the summer progresses or work with your child to learn how to modify your calendar online. Check out the links below:

Printable calendars:
http://www.calendarlabs.com/

Online calendar with multiple options:
http://30boxes.com/welcome.php

As discussed in previous posts, it is a good idea to think ahead and begin planning summer learning goals ASAP! Check out the link below to see an example of a goal tool that you and your child could use to help keep track of progress in any area you choose. This online goal setting tool is easy to use and includes additional features for families who might want to do more than simply set up a table with goals, dates and checkmarks.

http://www.joesgoals.com/index.cfm

If your child is learning to read or needing to practice phonics and early literacy skills, Starfall is a popular site with a variety of age appropriate opportunities to practice phonics and reading skills.

http://www.starfall.com/

The Reading Room has something for all ages! Books for children and young adults is the focus of this site, however, one can find links to online book lists, e-books, resources for book discussions, book reviews, and more!

http://www.sldirectory.com/libsf/genre.html#top

If manuscript handwriting is a skill that your child needs to practice, go to this link to design and print your own handwriting pages. Children seem to enjoy doing work that they give to themselves!

http://www.handwritingforkids.com/handwrite/manuscript.htm

Use to the link below to design and cursive handwriting pages.
http://www.handwritingforkids.com/handwrite/practice/index.htm

Some children could easily spend more time thinking about writing a story than actually writing. For some children, getting started is harder than the actual writing task. The links to writing prompts below can help your child to write creative stories, poems, and/or journal entries.

http://www.creativewritingprompts.com/

http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hme/k_5/brightideas/

Find out how your child uses technology in school. Perhaps using the family computer to become more independent with technology skills such as keyboarding, creating multi-media presentations and/or to illustrate his/her ideas and stories are additional goals he/she may wish to include in a summer learning plan. Your child may have some good ideas and/or learning links to share and explore with you. Have fun learning and exploring together, and check back for additional learning links!

Online tutors can help your child with everything from online math tutoring to reading skills.