Summer Activities & Ideas for Students and Parents
Maximize summer learning time by capitalizing on curiosity and personal interests. Here are some great ideas for parents and educators to help students grow dendrites during June, July, and August. Enjoy!
National Geographic- This is a great website for kids to use watch videos, play games, & read about animals!
White House- Students can visit and learn about the White House and our government from the comfort of their home. Watch videos, take a tour, and read letters from the President and First Lady.
Tumble Books- Tumble Books is a great resource to bring a library of books into a child's home. Students can listen to online texts and take comprehension quizzes, play games, and much more!
Tween Tribune- Tween Tribune is a great online news source for KIDS! Students can read informational texts that are interesting and relevant.
San Diego Zoo- The San Diego Zoo offers many fun ways for kids to learn about animals, their habitats, and more all on their website. Watch live cameras of the exhibits, meet with zookeepers, and play games!
Explore Dinosaurs- Students can read, watch, and learn all about dinosaurs. Participate in a virtual dinosaur dig with a paleontologist!
Activities & Paces to Visit With Your Student(s):
Public Library- Visit your local library for story time, music class, or to just check out books!
Virtual Literature Circles- Teachers can host virtual literature circles over the summer for your students. Try www.backchannelchat.com to set up a private discussion board. Set a time to meet online to discuss specific books or books that students have selected on their own. Keep students communicating all summer long about great reads.
Museums, Zoo, & More- Look up a list of local museums, zoos, or historical sites. Most places have a half price day each week. Take a visit and while you are there take pictures and notes to share with others. Have students make a Tellagami video on a device to share their experience with others.
Church Summer Camps- Churches offer great summer camp opportunities for kids in the area. From music camps to themed camps, kids will be having fun and learn with others!
Public Playgrounds- Use Google Maps to search for local playgrounds or parks in your area. Pack a breakfast or lunch picnic and spend a few hours in the sun.
Splash Pads- Get wet this summer! Visit a local splash pad and enjoy the fountains on a hot summer day.
Botanical Center- Visit your local botanical center to see beautiful landscapes and learn about the plants that are in season. Students can make a brochure to advertise their favorite plants and characteristics. This is also a great place for students to sketch landscapes.
Trampoline Parks- Need to get out of the house? Get some exercise at a trampoline park near you! Video tricks and jumps to share on Kidblog or Edmodo with their peers or teacher.
Fire Station- Visit your local fire station to see the trucks, firefighters, and to learn about what being a firefighter is all about.
Ways to Stay Connected With Your Students:
Kidblog is a safe and simple way for you to stay connected through writing with your students. Teachers can sign up for free and manage their blogs from the comfort of their home.
Edmodo takes learning beyond the classroom. This website offers a safe and easy way to communicate with students from near and far. The best part is...it's FREE!
Facebook & Instagram are great social media outlets that allow you to communicate through text and pictures with your students and parents all summer long. Post questions, polls, pictures, and more!
Phonics Focus: Brand Name Phonics
Use brand names to develop graphophonemic awareness and make connections between words. Select 3-5 words from environmental print to use with students. Think of their areas of interest, TV shows are great. Students use the words to identify syllables and spelling patterns. They make connections to other words that have the same pattern type. This activity is a non-threatening opportunity for students to study words that are familiar and interesting. That will lead into a deeper understanding of words and their parts.
The First 25 Days of School for ELAR K-6th
Learn how to plan and implement Reading & Writing Workshop at the beginning of the school year!
Starting the school year off strong is important and we are here to help with ideas for developing relationships and establishing routines! Join us this summer for a day full of learning and planning for your NEXT school year. Learn strategies and activities for building routines and relationships with your students. Don't miss out on this day! Click HERE for more information.
Developing Critical Readers Grades 1st-8th
Imagine every student in your classroom engaged in critical thinking while reading! Join Kelly Harmon for a day full of authentic and rigorous reading strategies and activities to transform the way you differentiate reading in your classroom! Explore guided and close reading lessons that engage students and connect to real world literacy learning! Click here for more information!
Best Apps, Digital Tools, & Websites K-12th
Technology is great for providing explicit instruction, meaningful practice, and student-designed projects and presentations. In this interactive seminar, explore the best apps, digital tools, and websites for iPad, Android, and laptops that will engage your learners and accelerate their learning. Be sure to bring your device or laptop for the hands on make-and-take projects and ideas. Click Here for more information!
Strengthening Your RTI Program Two Day Intensive
June 22nd - 23rd
Dallas, TX
8:30am -3:30pm
Marzano's Essentials of Rigor Series @ Region 20 ESC
San Antonio, TX
Region 20 Education Service Center
In a TEKS-based classroom, teachers need to continuously check where students are in their learning. In Monitoring for Learning, participants learn how to build monitoring into their lessons to determine who is cognitively engaged and who is simply being compliant. This hands-on session gives teachers techniques, tools, and resources to observe, collect, and use formative data to assess learning during a lesson, develop and use assessment tasks in each lesson and adapt instruction based on timely student evidence. For more information, click here!
Strengthening Your Title I Program
July 20th - 21st
Seattle, WA
Learn how to better lead your school or district Title I team in this strategy-packed two-day institute led by nationally acclaimed presenter, Kelly Harmon. You will discover how to work with teachers to identify and implement the most effective cutting-edge, research-based instructional strategies to increase school and district wide student achievement. You will learn how to develop teacher expertise in working with struggling students along with ways to continually monitor and adjust instruction based on student results. For more information, visit www.ber.org.
Kelly Harmon & Associates, LLC
Email: randi@kellyharmon.net
Website: kellyharmon.net
Phone: 817-583-1290