In the past, I’ve tried to create a plan for the summer. To the point of having BIG goals for each day – Deanna Rose every Monday, Summer Movie every Tuesday, Library every Wednesday, etc… And, well, it never seemed to go as planned. I tried this with house cleaning too and felt like I “failed” if I didn’t meet my daily goal and just gave up altogether. Anyone else?
My oldest is about to finish Kindergarten and is just starting to read. I don’t want her to fall behind over the summer. So, new plan this summer…I am going to create a Day 1-5 schedule (just as she has become used to at school) that’s focused on school instead of activities. Then, if we miss a day, no big deal. Monday may be Day 1 but we have to skip Tuesday for one reason or another, then Day 2 falls on Wednesday.
Here’s my plan for my Kindergartener and her 3-year old sister:
Day 1 – Puzzles/Games
Day 2 – Reading
Day 3 – Recreation
Day 4 – Math
Day 5 – Handwriting
And the only goal each day is to practice these skills before we do anything fun like go to the pool or have a playdate. It’s not THE activity for the day, it’s one activity per day that takes 10 minutes, gets our day started right, and keeps us on track over the summer.
What do you think?
I think that is achievable and a great idea. I teach school, and also have a kindergartener and 3 yr old. Keeping it simple like this should keep the groaning about practicing school things to a minimum. 🙂 And each of those skills really does re-inforce great things. Remember to think outside the box with the practice too. Handwriting can be in the sandbox, practicing letters, or with sidewalk chalk if it's only about forming letters correctly (not about how to hold a pencil). Math can be counting beautiful flowers, or baking together. Reading can be with signs you pass while in the car. Even if you miss your 10 min at home you can infuse those skills into other "fun" parts of your day. Find those teachable moments and use them!