…yeah, I know. The summer is 1/2-way through and I’m only now suggesting (well, sorta demanding) that you buy a particular workbook for your kid. What can I say, the 100 degree temps are slowin’ me down. Better late than never?
The Original Summer Bridge Activities workbook series absolutely rules. I bought one for the Bear at the beginning of the summer, for kids going from 1st grade into 2nd even though she is actually going into 1st (in less than 4-weeks! Ack!). After flipping through the books in a local Learning Express store, it certainly seemed the 2nd grade version offered more challenging work for her. Since it arrived from Amazon ($5 cheaper than in the store) she has been devouring the mental (and a little physical) exercises inside. The format is superb, offering a couple of pages of work every day and rotating the subject matter from math, reading, money, time, comprehension, patterns and much more. As a bonus, there is a fun factoid or a little movement required (shoulder rolls, for example) at the end of each day. It’s enough work to feel like you are learning, without it seeming a chore. Plus, after every complete day the child gets to pick out a sticker from the back and place it on the page. After 17 days, the charm of that process still hasn’t worn out for the Bear.
Just last week, the Pre-K to Kindergarten edition arrived for the Mouse, who is definitely not heading into K (she’s only 3) but needs an educational kickstart thanks to my sorta negligence. She LOVES learning to trace letters, shapes and complete simple patterns. The boost in her self-confidence was noticeable after the 1st two pages and every single time she excitedly screams “WORKBOOK!”
Still in the market for some summertime learning material? Go with the Summer Bridge Activities series – there’s a workbook for bridging all grade school levels and they are so very awesome. If your kiddo is kinda ahead of the game, consider (as I did) getting the next grade level up so they never feel bored.
