Quick poll: Do any of you give your kids/skids practice school work in the summer?
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I just wanted to take a quick poll to see how many people think practice work should be given in the summertime to keep it fresh in the kids minds?
My DH and I were having this convo and I said my BD6 and SS10 should do some work to keep it fresh in their minds. School starts next week. It would help my SS10 to actually remember it more, since he didn't do to great in school last year. He said when he was a kid he didn't do any practice work throughout the summer, he just played. So I wanted to see how many people give their kids some practice work or if you think it shouldn't be given at all.
Why yes it is mandatory
Why yes it is mandatory summer fun in our parts.
My BD11 tutors her brother/BS7 every summer as he is just learning to read, write, multiplication, money, time, etc. She gets teacher's supplies to make lesson plans, recess tools, etc. She even plans "field trips" across street to community pool and park. This is her job (nonpaying) in the summer b/c she is a genius (not a joke, she really has scored beyond measure on tests) and needs anything to keep her busy. SD15 is a special education kid; so she studies and works year round as she asked to be mainstreamed (taken out of sped ed classes) and therefore must work 10x as hard as kids her age to keep up. At end of school year, I ask her teachers what books they will be using and buy her used, older editions to get a headstart on the following school year. I have found the kids love this. So yes that is all they do in our house over the summer is academic work. As a compromise, every Wednesday DH takes off and they have season passes to an amusement park. That's their "fun time." Then I take them to the movies or dinner of their choice every other Friday night during summer break as well.
This pays off dividends and it keeps them out of trouble. BD11 got up the whole summer at 6:30 a.m. to do her lesson plan. SD15 got up as well to study. BD11 even tutored SD15 this summer! Our kids got 1 week off after school ended and then we started our summer program....this was our 3rd year and they didn't complain at all!
I guess it's a modern day
I guess it's a modern day thing-we never did have extra anything in summer when I grew up. Our brains didn't melt of fall out either
I don't mandate my kids during the two months they get-perhaps to read and we practiced cursive a few times...but yeah-individual decision. I really think kids are overloaded with school/activities/functions/sports/homework/now summer school also-just as a general observation.
Oh-another difference is depends on how well they do during class/school year, their grades and also their age.
I agree fully on all parts
I agree fully on all parts w/all of the above. My BD6 is starting 1st grade so I have been practicing time, reading and money with her. We bought the books for both of them to do the work too, but my husband doesn't enforce it and lets them go out and play. My BD6 is pretty smart and does good when we are practicing so she doesn't need it AS much. She catches on quick. My SS10 didn't do too well last year, but he did pass so he def. needs it.
If he passed and was doing good in school that would be a diff. story. A refresher is still neeeded, but maybe not as much since you worked hard during the school year to get those good grades. But he didn't do the work so now he should have to make up for some of it.
But, seeing as his BM didn't really care or tell him to try and achieve good grades, he seems to have the same thinking. This is a kid who is going to 5th grade that can barely divide. That is 3rd-4th grade work and my DH seems to think he's fine. I just wanna slap him sometimes. He wants to think he's fine, but he needs some tutoring. Which we have talked about in the past, but my DH doesn't want to follow through w/it. He lets him go outside as long as he tries in school and does his homework.
I am more strict on my BD6 b/c I don't want to have her in 5th grade and not know how to spell that great or not know some of the things that she should've already known 2 grades before.
I have sat with him and tried to help, but he would rather cheat off of the girl next to him.
DH is usually on the same page as me when it comes to the kids, but this one he is not.
How horrid ...steptwins
How horrid ...steptwins didn't read even 1 summer book out of 5 assigned. DH bought them all 2 weeks ago and laid them out proudly. Sick. He enables their feeling of entitlement to the roof. Procrasination from DH compounds it but he didn't want to ruin their summer with reading.
I believe that they lose 40%
I believe that they lose 40% too. Now if they only knew 50% when school was over, your back at square one when school starts. Now it's twice as hard for the teacher b/c she has to take the time to teach you something you already should know, hard for yourself b/c you are back learning what you barely knew last year and other kids who already know some of the stuff have to wait. I know kids forget some stuff, but if you are really behind that's when it turns bad. This could've all been possibly turned around with a little extra time in the summer. DH is just letting it happen and it's going to be so hard during the year trying to get him back on track, if at all.
I don't get it. He's usually on the ball and with this, he's not. You might see a post on here soon that I strangled DH....hehehehe j/k
I made all the kids do some
I made all the kids do some sort of school work everyday. Nothing very long and drawn out but something to keep their minds stimulated and related to their grade level. I got some criticism from DH...saying that they need to enjoy their summer, but I refused to stop doing it. I think if it will help them, what's 15 minutes out of their daily summer schedule?
I think it's a good idea. I
I think it's a good idea. I was in summer camps (arts, computers, scouting) starting when I was 9, and when I was 12 started "nerd camp" that went through a full year of a single high school subject in three weeks. Between the ages of 12 and 16 I did 2 years of high school math (ended up taking calculus in 11th grade) biology, creative writing, computer programming, and physics with calculus.
SD14 isn't quite as far ahead as I was (nor do her parents have the money!) but I taught her how to write a formal essay this summer (500 word persuasive essay - it was actually punishment) and she was doing Sean Covey's teen books too. She tore through them; she finished the first book and the workbook in a single week.
Next summer, if she keeps her grades up this year, I'm going to send her to a creative writing camp at Duke University. She wants to be an author when she grows up, so this is working toward that goal. It's going to be an expensive Christmas present though ($1800 for two weeks) so that's why the grade stipulation. Otherwise, it'll be workbooks and more formal essay-writing.
Oh, and I'm irked at DH about the whole thing. He agrees in principle with educating her, but leaves it to me. She got in trouble and we got the workbooks for her and a "dealing with troubled teen girls" book, and he didn't turn a single page of them. You gotta walk the walk, DH!