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 that 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. Go to http://library.moundsparkacademy.org/readinglinks.shtml for reading lists, book news and other word-related information.

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 ten minutes a day (perhaps over breakfast or while riding in the car) will dramatically improve their mastery going into next year.

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 weekly such as "Time" or "Newsweek."  We also recommend listening to an in-depth news show such as National Public Radio.

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.

-Bob Cooke