Games that engage the body, while demanding mental concentration, not only help kids learn new skills, they may also improve their ability to be able to focus when they need to sit still for lessons later
make their mom some jewelry. They decided that each time her first-grader, Grace, finished reading a book aloud, she got to put another bead on a string that hung on the wall. Grace watched her accomplishments grow, while her parents saw her reading improve.
2
Science Families that spend time camping and hiking can capital- ize on the abundant natural learning opportunities that
such activities foster, aided by books on the local flora and fauna. When traveling to another part of the country or the world for outdoor adventures, do some homework together first about what you’re likely to see when you get there. Indoor science lessons, cleverly disguised as games or
toys, may be just as valuable, not only for teaching scientific concepts, but also in fostering skills kids will need when they head back to the classroom. Kelly Pascal Gould relates how Jackson, her elementary
school-age son, naturally gravitates toward experiments and creative projects. One spring, she stocked up on chemistry sets and science kits. Several of them worked to engage the bud- ding inventor, who needed to increase his attention span. Wright notes that many students that participate in her
summer school program are referred to her because they have trouble concentrating in regular classes. She’s learned that proj- ects that teach them about science, nature and how things work tend to keep them focused on the task at hand, and also begin to ingrain in them ways to better concentrate in the future.
3
Games During Wright’s summer school program, kids come in early to play Dance Dance Revolution or Guitar Hero;
she encourages kids to play these and other games on consoles like Xbox, PlayStation and Wii. Games that engage the body, while demanding mental concentration, not only help kids learn new skills, they may also improve their ability to be able to focus when they need to sit still for lessons later, she says. “[Games that entail] cross-lateral movement, which means doing something crossover, like jumping rope or playing ball, are good, too, because they’re using one side of the body that engages the other side of the brain, so both body and mind are moving,” explains Wright. “It helps kids comprehend, and then settle down and learn.” More traditional games provide another type of learning experience, especially when kids make up rules they invent and agree upon as they go along.
4 Cooking
Preparing meals is another forum for engaging kids’ minds during the summer. To enjoy the fruits of their
culinary labors, youngsters must first master reading, measur- ing and following directions—lessons that are much easier to swallow when they are followed by a tasty dish they’ve made themselves, notes Wright. It may take patience on the part of parents, who see
June 2011 29
cooking as another household chore to complete as quickly as possible, but taking the time to teach kids cooking skills makes us slow down and realize there’s joy to be found in the kitchen when we have someone to share the work. Parry’s daughter Grace loves to help in the kitchen, and
children generally enjoy the tangible sense of accomplish- ment when they put a meal they’ve helped create on the table. “She’s old enough now where she can measure and scoop,” Parry says. “It’s fun for both of us.”
5 Art
Gould set up a place at home where Jackson can go and create to his heart’s content. The art room has just about
anything a child needs to create his own works of art, she says. Jackson also recently learned to embroider; quite an accom- plishment, given the complete focus such an art demands. Susan Aust’s tween, Tucker, is into art of a different kind,
having developed a love of all things theatrical and vora- ciously reading books about famous actors and actresses, she says. The Austs started a weekly home family film festival, where they all watch a movie together and afterwards, “We talk about the actors’ lives and work.”
Janet Forgrieve is a regular contributor to
GaiamLife.com, from which this article was adapted.
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