We still have over a month left of school, but I'm already thinking about the summer.
I would like to say that the finer parts of summer have been weighing on my mind - wonderful things like no alarm clocks and afternoons at the splash-pad - but I'm sorry to say, that's not the case. I've been thinking a lot about how I'm going to keep my kids' brains working when there's no work to be done. Math, science, reading...it all gets a little fuzzing during the 8 weeks of no school, if we don't practice but this year I'm most concerned about writing.
Cole hates writing. He loathes it. We worked on two short answer practice test questions the other day for over an hour...on Mother's Day! It's painful for him and me because he completely shuts down whenever he has to do it. His attitude goes sour, his posture gets schlumpy, and he'll latch on to anything to distract himself. It's certainly not for lack of imagination. That boy dreams up some of the craziest things. I have been privy to hundreds of endless conversations about ideas he has come up with...he's just unwilling to write it down.
In light of his problem, and as a way to encourage him, I'm considering having the kids keep journals this summer. But the questions is how do I keep it light and fun while still having them do it every day?
For Cole, I'm thinking about creating a custom journal that has some blank pages in it as well as some guided writing pages. The guided pages would be something like look at the picture and create a story to go with it or create an idea for a new video game and write down the details.
For Isabel, the journal would be simpler. I was thinking of having her do things like write down words and draw pictures. I'm still looking for good ideas for her journal.
My hope is that journaling will give both kids an opportunity to be creative and express themselves while still practicing a really important skill that's easy to ignore when schools not in session.
I'd love to hear some of your ideas if you have any.
I would like to say that the finer parts of summer have been weighing on my mind - wonderful things like no alarm clocks and afternoons at the splash-pad - but I'm sorry to say, that's not the case. I've been thinking a lot about how I'm going to keep my kids' brains working when there's no work to be done. Math, science, reading...it all gets a little fuzzing during the 8 weeks of no school, if we don't practice but this year I'm most concerned about writing.
Cole hates writing. He loathes it. We worked on two short answer practice test questions the other day for over an hour...on Mother's Day! It's painful for him and me because he completely shuts down whenever he has to do it. His attitude goes sour, his posture gets schlumpy, and he'll latch on to anything to distract himself. It's certainly not for lack of imagination. That boy dreams up some of the craziest things. I have been privy to hundreds of endless conversations about ideas he has come up with...he's just unwilling to write it down.
In light of his problem, and as a way to encourage him, I'm considering having the kids keep journals this summer. But the questions is how do I keep it light and fun while still having them do it every day?
For Cole, I'm thinking about creating a custom journal that has some blank pages in it as well as some guided writing pages. The guided pages would be something like look at the picture and create a story to go with it or create an idea for a new video game and write down the details.
For Isabel, the journal would be simpler. I was thinking of having her do things like write down words and draw pictures. I'm still looking for good ideas for her journal.
My hope is that journaling will give both kids an opportunity to be creative and express themselves while still practicing a really important skill that's easy to ignore when schools not in session.
I'd love to hear some of your ideas if you have any.
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