Summer Learning Guide 2017

Summer Learning A GUIDE FOR PEMBROKE PARENTS

ABOUT THIS GUIDE This guide identifies both free and school supported resources to help our students access educational opportunities during the summer break.

SUMMER 2017

BY MARYBETH BRUST ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT PEMBROKE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

WHY SUMMER LEARNING IS IMPORTANT

Children who practice their reading and math skills during the summer months improve literary and academic performance, develop a love of reading and solving problems, and avoid the dreaded "summer slide". We believe that student and family choice, as well as continued practice throughout the summer, provides students with a readiness to succeed in future academic work.

We are asking families to assist us by encouraging our students to practice reading and math throughout the summer. By setting aside a little bit of time each day to practice reading and math, your efforts will enable us to maintain the progress students made this year, and assist us in starting strong in September.

Please use this guide as a resource to partner with us and engage our students in reading and math throughout the summer break.

IDEAS TO SUPPORT SUMMER LEARNING HAVE A PLAN Create a summer learning plan with goals and daily activities that students can perform for a set amount of time per day.

REWARD GOOD BEHAVIOR

Set up motivational incentives to keep your child excited about learning. Give lots of praise as kids ultimately want to make their parents happy! Celebrate their achievements with them as they learn a new skill.

KEEP IT SIMPLE

Simpler plans are easier to manage.

You don't have to be a teacher to help your kids continue to learn over the summer!

SUMMER READING Studies show that access to books during the summer prevents a drastic loss in reading skill.

Pembroke students in grades K-6 also have access to LexiaCore5, an online reading skills program throughout the summer months.

To login: CLICK HERE Use the students first and last name (i.e firstlast ) and the password, Lexia.

Elementary School

Middle School

High School

Created in partnership with the Pembroke Public Library a Summer Reading Suggestions list for grades K-6 can be found on our website.

OR CLICK HERE. Recommendations for Middle School Summer Reading and Summer Reading Assignments can be found on our website.

OR CLICK HERE For a Summary of Pembroke High School 2017 Summer Reading Assignments: CLICK HERE * Click the list link under each expectation box for a more indepth assignment outlines.

BUILD A BETTER WORLD: READ

RESEARCH SHOWS THAT MOST CHILDREN LOSE 2-3 MONTHS OF LEARNING OVER THE SUMMER.

PEMBROKE PUBLIC LIBRARY This year's Massachusetts Summer Reading Program at the Pembroke Public Library starts on Monday, June 26th and runs through Friday, August 12th. There will be many fun activities at the library for everyone during the summer, and readers will not only build and expand their minds, but they will get to see their accomplishments pile up through fun incentives. Plus, each participant will receive a free book at the end of the summer!

Our Pembroke Public Library's Youth Services Librarian, Miss Melissa, has worked with local schools, and other educators across the nation to bring us a list of books that are equal parts enjoyable, accessible, and challenging.

On the suggested reading list, you will find: - Favorites - Poetry -Adventure - Realistic Fiction -Historical Fiction -Humor - Animal Stories - Fantasy and Science Fiction - Award Winners (labeled) - and More Some nonfiction titles are included, but if you have a special interest, there are hundreds of books available at the library on every subject.

Need help finding a book? Ask Miss Melissa or a library staff member for help searching for suggestions. You can also visit www.pemrbokelibrary.org to access the library catalog and book recommendations.

10-30 MINUTES OF READING PER DAY IS RECOMMENDED AT THE K-6 LEVEL.

CREATIVE WRITING JOURNAL Who doesn’t love those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer?

As parents we welcome this time of year when our kids can finally kick back, relax, and just be kids – play outdoors, while away the days, break out of the routine of school and just let the days unfold. We also think about all the progress our young scholars have made throughout the last school year – and wonder how much of the knowledge and new learning they’ll retain. One motivating way to enhance what kids experience during the summer while reinforcing and applying previous learning is by taking a little time to reflect, in writing, on all summer has to offer.

This summer journal is designed to be a stimulating, creative, fun vehicle that will empower children, not only to chronicle their best days and experiences, but to look at and record even the most ordinary events in extraordinary ways – in other words, to “see with author’s eyes”. In it they’ll be reminded how to capture vivid little slices of life using the writing skills they’ve practiced throughout the school year. Each activity includes an optional summer art project to enhance the writing and further preserve their summer musings.

In addition to the kid-friendly suggestions/instructions in the Summer Musings journal, we include a Parent Tips Sheet to help you gently guide, encourage, and inspire your young summer author. Children will participate by writing in their own “Summer Musings Journal” provided – a wonderful summer resource that can become a treasured keepsake in the future. Directions and suggestions precede each writing activity. Simply look over the directions, offer your child some casual guidance, or let your young author go to it on his/her own! The good news is, each writing activity can be approached again and again, every time the young author has a new summer experience! For example – the writing activity titled “Summer Scene” can be used every time the young author visits a new summer place – the seashore, forest, canyon, lake, etc! For added fun, provide your child with a zippered plastic bag that will hold their journal and art supplies: safety scissors, glue stick, markers, crayons, colored pencils.

Take this “Author’s Kit” along on vacation and family outings.

SUMMER MUSINGS FOR KIDS!

Click the links below for a variety of writing prompts for the Summer Musings Journal.

Daily Chronicles Summer Scene Sentence Starters Summer Escapades!

Summer Sightseeing!

Summer Poetry For additional ideas and resources visit www.empoweringwriters.org

WRITING OVER SUMMER BREAK IS A GREAT WAY FOR STUDENTS TO RETAIN SKILLS WHILE ALSO BEING CREATIVE

SUMMER MUSINGS FOR KIDS! THE SUMMER MUSINGS JOURNAL WILL HELP YOUR CHILD TO: Collect mementos to scrapbook along with their writing.

Provide a small history of the interesting person they are today.

Impress future generations with their insights and writing ability.

Create a treasure of a book for reminiscing Add original artwork to enhance their writing.

Allow them to relive their summer days all year round!

Hard to believe, but someday your child will be old! Grown up. They will probably have a car and a job, and a whole serious life. They might even have kids who will think of them as a “grown-up”! Kids who are off from school for the summer will want to hear all about summer in the “olden days” when they were a kid!

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a really special book, an ancient treasure of an account that chronicles a long-ago summer?

Have your child carry their Summer Musings Journal with them whenever you’re headed out for some summer fun.

Put it in a plastic zip lock bag with: • a couple of pencils • colored pencils, markers, and/or crayons • a glue stick • a pair of small, safe scissors (optional) • stickers and stamp pads

HAPPY WRITING! Reading Rockets is another great resource for growing your young writer.

Click Here for additional ideas for encouraging your child to write during the summer break.

SUMMER MATH To combat summer learning loss, we are encouraging students to continue to practice their math skills this summer.

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Pembroke students in grades K-6 who used enVision Math during the year will continue to have access to enVision over the summer.

Khan Academy is a useful math program for grades 5 and 6.

This free app called Sushi Monster is a Math App created

by Scholastic that makes math fun.

XtraMath is a math face fluency program that helps students master addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts. Sign up for free today!

WE RECOMMEND 10-30 MINUTES OF MATH PRACTICE PER DAY FOR GRADES K-6.

KEEP THE SUMMER LEARNING FUN

CREATIVE SUMMER LEARNING IDEAS FROM SCHOLASTIC Keep kids learning during summer break with these great activities, and ideas. CLICK HERE for the full article. www.scholastic.com Set aside time each day to read.

Track the books and reward them when they reach certain milestones.

Map the weather: Keep a running log of the weather, include tempature, humidity, clouds, precipitation, wind and air pressure.

Can they predict the weather patterns?

Change It Up Game- Start collecting change at the beginning of the summer. On the last day, estimate your change, count it and plan a special purchase.

Plan a Trip: Have your child plan a trip to a local musuem, zoo or beach.

Have them research the location, how to get there, and what sights they will see.

Curate a Gallery: Have your child collect items such as pinecones, rocks, shells and other natural objects to organzie, catergorize and label. Have them present their own museum of natural history when they are finished.

TYPING SKILLBUILDING WHY IS TYPING IMPORTANT? THE MCAS 2.0 ONLINE ASSESMENTS FROM GRADE 3 REQUIRE STUDENTS TO READ AND WRITE ONLINE INCLUDING ENTERING MATH EQUATIONS ACCURATE AND SPEEDY TYPING IS IMPORTANT FOR STUDENT CONFIDENCE IN WORKING ONLINE

CODING Code.org® is a non-profit dedicated to expanding access to computer science, and increasing participation by women and underrepresented minorities. Their vision is that every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn computer science, just like biology, chemistry or algebra. Code.org organizes the annual Hour of Code campaign which has engaged 10% of all students in the world, and provides the leading curriculum for K-12 computer science in the largest school districts in the United States.

WHEN INTRODUCING TYPING SKILLS, MOTIVATION IS KEY! HAVE YOUR STUDENT SPEND 10-15 MINUTES PER DAY PRACTICING TYPING SKILLs

FURTHER YOUR CHILD'S KEYBOARDING SKILLS WITH THESE FREE WEB-BASED KEYBOARDING PROGRAMS THAT TEACHERS RECOMMEND:

Dance Mat Typing (LINK) Typing Club (LINK)

Computer Science Skills are a critical component to education because they help to nurture problem solving skills, logic and creativity. Here are some great resources our teachers suggest to help excite your child about the world of computer programming and coding.

Scratch is a programming language and an online community where children can program and share interactive media such as stories, games, and animation with people from all over the world. As children create with Scratch, they learn to think creatively, work collaboratively, and reason systematically. Scratch is designed and maintained by the Lifelong Kindergarten group at the MIT Media Lab.

DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP This page contains resources to support parents in teaching K-3 and grade 4-8 students about Digital Citizenship and Internet Safety.

BrainPOP Jr. and BrainPOP have age appropriate and engaging resources that parents can use with their children to explain how to keep safe online and be responsible digital citizens.

CLICK HERE! BrainPOP Jr. is for students in grades K-3 with topics on Internet Safety (movies and activities)

CLICK HERE! Common Sense is the Nation's leading independent nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering kids thrive in a world of media and technology. (link)

Download the Common Sense App for a guide reference guide to age appropriate media.

FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES 4-8, BRAINPOP HAS DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP (LINK) MOVIES AND ACTIVITIES ON THE FOLLOWING TOPICS: Blogs Computer Viruses Conflict Resolution Copyright Cyberbullying Digital Etiquette Email and IM Information Privacy Internet Search Media Literacy Online Safety Online Sources Peer Pressure Plagiarism Social Networking

TEACHER RECOMMENDED LEARNING APPS

HELP PREPARE YOUR CHILD FOR SCHOOL It is never too early to start providing the kinds of experiences that will help your child enter school ready to succeed. “school readiness” refers to the academic knowledge, independence, communication, and social skills children need to do well in school. Getting your child ready for school requires you to spend time reading, talking, and playing with your child.

CLICK HERE Learning doesn't have to stop just because your child leaves the classroom. Our teachers have put together a list of apps they use and love so that you can continue the learning with your child all summer long.

Click the link above for App Names, Descriptions, and QLR Codes.

Here is a guide by NEA with helpful ideas on how to prepare your child for school.

Here are some Apps we recommend for Pre-K students.

ABCYA.COM

Touch and Write is a Letter Formation App. Telling Time is a child friendly Math App.

SUMMER LEARNING TIPS

HAV E A GRE AT SUM MER !

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO SUPPORT YOUR CHILD'S LEARNING DURING THE SUMMER, VISIT THE FOLLLOWING RESOURCES/LINKS:

Families in Schools.Org National Summer Learning Association First Book (www.firstbook.org) Scholastic Empowering Writers Start with a book.org

GREAT PLACES TO VISIT IN PEMBROKE Pembroke Public Library (LINK) Pembroke Recreation (LINK) Pembroke Parks and Walking Trails (LINK) Pembroke Historical Society (LINK)

Pembroke Public Schools Central Office 72 Pilgrim Road Pembroke, MA 02359 781-829-0832 www.pembrokek12.org

@PPSsupt @PemSch_news

Questions, Comments, Concerns or Compliments? Let's Talk!

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