good cheap ideas for summer learning

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone, I just wanted to share some of my ideas I'm doing with my son.

He will be 9 in September and in the 2nd grade with out any support this year

for the first time. His dx. is pdd/nos. What I'm always trying to do is make

learning fun; not a bunch of worksheets. Although, this summer, he will still

have to do a packet of worksheets each day to earn his 5 dollars a week

allowance. Also, these activities are low cost. I am a single mom what can I

say

Other activities :

1) Give allowance, let them count their own money. Have them go to the dollar

store and spend their own money. ( its easier to count how much you spend if

everything is a dollar)

2) Get them a special diary. Writing is now a fun activity. I prompt Eddie

with words he does not know. He loves writing in his diary. They make a

special Harry Potter diary with a lock and key. It really encourages his

writing skills.

3) Make a word poster around the room with all words used the most. They put

these in the first grade classrooms to help the kids spell words. I did this

with Eddie's room so when he writes in his diary he comes to me less for

spelling of a word.

4) Download computer learning games. You can get free ones at <A

HREF= " http://www.kidsdomain.com/down/index.html " >Kids Domain -

Downloads</A> I liked Roxies math and reading gold fish game. There are also

many math games, hangman and tic tac toe. Tons of free short games you can

try. I put them visibly on my computer desktop. They play them all the time.

Also Reader Rabbit makes really good interactive learning CD roms. You can

purchase them at computer fairs for 9 bucks. A good deal.

5) Turn the tv off. Prompt them with ideas to do things outside. Even

digging a hole with a spoon, filling it with water. or making a tent with a

blanket. Inspecting bugs. Riding bikes. There are so many other activities to

do outside.

Of course, my kids are older. Activities may vary with age.

6) Look up interests on the computer. We have done this many times. Eddie has

many interests like planes, sharks and boats. He also collects rocks. Looking

things up on the computer can be so much fun and printing them out. Going to

the library too is also a good experience.

7) Make your own story book. Have the kids write their own story and

illustrate it.

8) For worksheets. I make Eddies myself, then print it out. He does the same

one everyday for math. Then I quiz him on it verbally. He gets a new one

when the old one is mastered to fluency. There is also a ton of websites

where you can print out worksheets some are: <A

HREF= " http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/9402/subjects.html " >Kristi's Homeschool

Subjects</A> <A HREF= " http://www.schoolexpress.com/ " >

SchoolExpress.com | Home</A> <A

HREF= " http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/cartoons/dora.htm " >DLTK's Dora the

Explorer Section</A> <A HREF= " http://www.readerrabbit.com/ " >123, ABC: Learn

Basic Skills with Reader Rabbit's Online Games and Activities</A> (free workbook

to print out)

9) Other website for activities are: <A

HREF= " http://www.elmers.com/index_com.asp " >Elmers.com - School Glues, Art

Supplies, and other adhesives for every use.</A> <A

HREF= " http://www.theideabox.com/ " >Idea Box - Early Childhood

Education and Activity Resources</A>

10) For learning the verbs, nouns and other parts of speech, I have bought

the Mad Libs book. Scholastic makes them. I also found a website kind of

like the Mad Libs book, its online and it makes the story for you after you

fill in the words. Its at : <A HREF= " http://madlibs.freeservers.com/ " >Piece of

PI Mad-Libs - Bored, try some Mad-Libs

to waste the time... They're FU</A> <A

HREF= " http://www2.funbrain.com/cgi-bin/wt.cgi?A1=s " >Pick a Story.</A>

My kids love it!

11) Visit museams and take nature walks (also cheap )

These are a few of my ideas I thought I'd share. Have a great day. Christy

mom to Eddie 8 (pds/nos) and Gavin 7

[Guest guest]

Great ideas! Also you can check with your libraries,

pools, community centers, and city parks programs.

They often offer free and low-cost summer activities,

with lots of social opportunities. I was really

surprised when I started looking into the activities

available in my community. We've taken as many of my

daughter's target skills as we can and tried to match

them with some of our community programs that will

help her with those skills.

We do lots of hands-on learning activities. I bought a

couple math and science experiment books at the used

bookstore and we made an " experiment notebook " to keep

track of all the experiments we do this summer. My

daughter has even been making up her own

" experiments. " The last one involved shaking all the

salt and pepper into her brother's apple juice then

trying to get him to drink it, but hey, at least she's

getting into the spirit of things.

If you do an allowance, you can set up a bank account.

We deposit $ every other week, and keep it for

spending every other week. It's been a great

experience for both my kids to see the money adding

up, plus lots of opportunities to practice social

skills related to banking, waiting in line, greeting

the teller and telling them what they want, and so on.

The tellers always seem to want to converse a little

with my kids, ask them about school or whatever, which

is great!

Cat

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funnybucket1@...

" Why sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast. "

--Through the Looking Glass

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