Many parents (and a few students) are interested in finding summer academic work that will reinforce this year's learning and prepare students for next year.  I thought it might be helpful to send along a few suggestions from our teachers regarding summer work students might do, and I'm happy to pass along their suggestions below. 

Reading:  We all believe in the importance of reading, and our English Department and library staff have put together great resources for this. Go to http://library.moundsparkacademy.org/readinglinks.shtml for reading lists, book news and other word-related info.

Math:  A good website for interactive math practice is http://aaamath.com/ while more basic skills can be drilled at http://spearfish.k12.sd.us/west/Specials/Penny/math.htm. 

Writing:  Students should practice "fun" writing, perhaps by journaling or writing letters to friends or relatives.  (Everyone loves to get a letter!)  Most students need to improve their keyboarding skills, and an inexpensive typing program such as Mavis Beacon or Mario Teaches Typing can do so in an enjoyable way.

World Language:  Vocabulary review is a great use of time.  Most students have flashcards they've created over the year, and spending 10 minutes a day (perhaps over breakfast or while riding in the car) will dramatically improve their mastery going into next year.  Two websites that come highly recommended are http://www.uni.edu/becker/Spanish2.html and http://www.uni.edu/becker/french31.html. 

Social Studies:  Getting students up-to-date on current events is a great idea, and two good methods are by having them read a newspaper or a news magazine such as Time or Newsweek.  We also recommend listening to an in-depth news show such as National Public Radio.  We do not endorse local affiliate TV news, as they generally do not dedicate the time needed for deep understanding of complex issues.

Music:  Find a fun book of tunes for your child to work on over the summer--perhaps music from popular movies, Disney, or something similar.  This is a great way to keep kids practicing their instruments or voices. 

And finally, many teachers recommend time spent on some of the things that are all too rare in many kids' lives--eating dinner as a family, taking a hike for fun, bike riding, and being outdoors in unstructured time.  Keep those kids active (not sleeping too late or playing too many video games), and enjoy the summer as a family.

See you next year!