School's Out, It's Time for Fun; But the Learning Has Just Begun

Yesterday was the last day of school for my kids.  Day camps don't start until next week so they are with me at work today.  We'll see how much I can occupy them so I can actually do an honest day's work while they're with me.

Before classes start again there will be 11 long and glorious weeks of summer.  But while the extra time and the better weather mean more opportunity for physical outdoor activity, I intend to make sure we don't waste the chance to keep pushing their minds.  So here are some things I am mulling over for their summers:

(1) Looking into buying a violin and finding a teacher for Jada, who reveled in school lessons and is ready to go private.

(2) Oh yes, there will be homework sheets, focusing on reading comp and arithmetic.  Quality over quantity, but just enough to keep old skills sharp and hone some new ones. 

(3) It's time to do some language acquisition.  We're starting with Mandarin and we're going with Pimsleur, but I'm hoping to find some ways to supplement the audio with some real-live interactions.

(4) Weekly writing assignments will be posted on Jada's blog.  I might get Aaron started, too.  I take seriously that writing is a skill that can be taught and should be practiced. 

(5) I have decided that their growing stuffed animal collection necessitates the creation of a living scrapbook of names, distinguishing characteristics, and origin stories.


(6) And of course there are the old staples of reading books and doing math games on the computer. 


They are still going to have the time of their lives this summer.  There will be day camps, specialty camps, sleep-away camps, slumber parties, vacations, and road trips galore.  But there will also be learning, and it will be work.  That's the life of a Huang kid.