After a foundation is laid, you will need to add a strong structure to fortify their growth.
Enjoy the bi-weekly articles below.
These sections  are organized by age level, but the information is not restricted to that age group. Consider looking at other age ranges as well. Also, make sure to check out the Archives.

Summer Writing to Grow Creativity
             Creativity is the central element that sets humans apart from other forms of life on earth.   Dr. Kenneth Robinson
     One of the most important jobs of parents as a summer teacher is to create an environment that nurtures creativity, innovativeness, perseverance and true grit without the restrictions of time and scheduling that the school year provides.  Children should be free to explore their environment within secure boundaries and that is, within their own family.
By writing their thoughts and memories down, children will remember and be able to recall them later as they are asked to write for assignments in school. 
     Children should grow in creativity and be able to use it in their writing.  Writing their reaction or thoughts to activities they participate in this summer and/or recording their actions in a journal or diary keeps their spelling and vocabulary as useful learning tools. Children can write reminder notes for you and themselves. Writing notes to send to friends and cousins brings joy to both the sender and the receiver.
     Besides, handwriting is good for their developing brains. Handwriting helps children focus and uses both their left and right brain. It calms and centers their mind and builds their literacy skills as they write down and react to books they are reading this summer. By writing them down, they may discover a favorite author. They may not agree with the ending of the books they are reading. Using their writing ability, they can predict or change the ending to one more satisfactory for them. They might even write a play based on a book.
      Writing down non-fiction books they read leads them to other books on the same subject for them to learn more or compare the information they need to grow their knowledge of a subject that interests them. 
     Handwriting is a valuable skill for children and should be grown along with keyboarding skills.

Goin' on a Scavenger Hunt! 
     Have you ever had the opportunity to go on a scavenger hunt?  Did you like the challenge of finding different objects?  Did you go alone or with friends? 
     A scavenger hunt is a game in which organizers prepare a list of specific items for one or more persons to find, not buy. The person or group who finds all the items first is the winner. 
     In the summer heat, many parents may be wondering what they can do to keep their children occupied (instead of video games) when children must be inside much of the time. When the children finish their chores, try a scavenger hunt! 
      www.fatherly.com/play/activities/scavengerhuntclues/ has “64 Scavenger Hunt Clues to Keep Kids Busy in Quarantine.” Some ideas on this site are something you can use to carry things, something soft (or hard), something that smells good (or bad), something spiky or something you can see through (or not see through).   
     goodhousekeeping.com has “22 Fun Scavenger Hunt Ideas to Keep Your Kids Guessing.”    Some of these are Stay-at-Home Scavenger Hunt, Things-I-Love Scavenger Hunt, Secret Code Scavenger Hunt (for siblings to work together).   Scavenger hunts can be outdoors also; art or flashlight scavenger hunts may provide challenge and entertainment.   
     Scavenger hunts (also called treasure hunts) should be a workout for the brain with hints that require some thinking (www.thespruce.com) Rhyming ideas or riddles provide time to figure out what the object is. “I have four legs, but I don’t have feet. I come in handy when it’s time to eat.” or “I’m filled with feathers or other soft fluff. To sleep without me can be quite tough.” Such objects can easily be brought for confirmation of the actual object. There are 28 more rhymes for you to consider if you can’t think of ones on your own. This website also suggests scavenger ideas for tweens and sleepovers. 
     Scavenger hunts give parents or an older sibling a chance to be creative. These games also give the parents time to do their own work or have some quiet time.  Children can find these things mostly on their own and develop their problem-solving skills while they figure out what they need to find..  You may need to give an incentive, like extra screen time, if they are the first to find all the objects. 

Help Your Children Learn Conflict Resolution 
     Parents, are you tired of your children’s constant arguments and fighting? Are you tired being in the middle of your children’s disagreements? Then, it is time for you to help your children learn how to handle their own problems. You will need to work with them—maybe one step at a time, but with patience and perseverance, you and your children can learn ways to settle differences to everyone’s satisfaction.  You CAN have a peaceful home. 
              We must teach our children how to resolve their differences with others so their life will be fulfilling and harmonious.                     education.gov.gy 
     This quote is from the nation of Guyana in Africa which shows that this problem is universal. It must be worthwhile to take the time to teach children “conflict resolution” for their own good and that of their future. 
     Steps suggested by the above website include identifying the problem and taking time to calm everyone down through strategies such as controlling breathing, tense and relaxing muscles, and giving each one time to think. You may even have thought of other ways to calm your children down. Punishment does not work. 
     Interestingly, your posture has something to do with how you negotiate with your children. If you stand above them, you take power from your children. Sit down in a low chair or on the floor, kneel or squat down so you are on the same level as your children.  
     It is important that you give each child time to explain the conflict without any interruptions.  Here, you need to be the mediator. Each child should have the time to explain their feelings--    ”I feel … when...” Again, no one may interrupt while each child explains their feelings. 
     Then, you can explain in your own words what you think the problem is. In this way, you show your understanding. Ask for ideas to solve their problem, but you do not give your opinion. Your children probably would not accept your ideas anyway. Let your children figure out or suggest what might work. Talk with them about the conflict and how it happened and how they think it can be fixed. Talk about whether it is a “little deal or a big deal.” Is it something that must be settled right now, or can it wait? You might even caution your children that they may not say anything hurtful to the other person. One of the ways you can help your children practice this action might be to say those things to themselves in front of a mirror and watch their own facial expression. This may give them a clue to another’s feelings. 
     Lastly, take action.  Ideally, a win-win situation where both are satisfied is the best, but maybe one of the children needs to walk away. You may need to stay to smooth the bumps, but you have helped your children learn kindness rather than just satisfying their own needs and desires. 
          Peace is not absence of conflict; it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means. Ronald Reagan ​

Keep Your Kids Moving
     During this pandemic, you are facing many challenges. If you are lucky enough to have a Chromebook or iPad, hopefully your children's teachers are helping you with lessons to continue their academic learning.  On websites such as www.themeasuredmom.com, Anna has paperless resources for your young learners.  She has games and activities for simple patterns, rhyming, vowels, blends, math concepts and reading comprehension.  Just because summer vacation will start soon, you are still responsible for your children's progress. Why not continue to guide your children's learning--keeping them growing and developing necessary skills. Reading and math facts that you continue to develop with your children will only benefit them greatly in the future. 
     The less time it will take them to figure out math problems because the math facts are automatic for them, the easier their math questions  will become. Anthony (www.mashedupmath.com provides some interesting and fun math challenges for all ages.
     The more they read anything, the more they will develop their speed, fluency and understanding of what they read.  Their enjoyment will increase with confidence as the practice their reading skill.