Educational Resources for Summer

The school year has finally ended in New York City and almost everyone has given a sigh of relief. The abrupt transition to online learning, with parents thrust into unfamiliar roles of teacher and monitor of their children’s schooling, the stress of the pandemic – which hit New York City early and with deadly force -- and the social and political upheaval following the murder of George Floyd and others made this a spring like no other.

Right now, no one knows what school will look like in the fall. A high school administrator has told us that his team has been instructed to come up with plans for every eventuality, including all learning to happen in school (with social distancing and masks) and all learning to continue online. The most likely scenarios are some combination of in person and online instruction, with students reporting to their school buildings for part of the day or for some days. The only thing that is certain as June winds to a close is that nothing is certain. One of the ideas for easing students' way back into school and helping to make up for lost learning is "looping", where students, especially in elementary school, move up to the next grade along with their teachers. This allows a third grade teacher, for example, to move to fourth grade with his students. The benefits to this system include knowing each student, and being aware of what the students learned -- and did not learn -- while their schooling was online. What it does not address is the fact that teachers may have taught a specific grade for a number of years and extensive preparation is needed for them to step into the curriculum of a different grade. Another possibility could be to have teachers from two grades consult together, at least early in the year, to figure out where students stand in September and what may have been lost in the months of remote learning.

There are no easy answers for families in this situation, but we can suggest some tools to use over the summer to help students get ready for whatever lies ahead in the fall. Our website has an extensive collection of resources for students of all ages, most of them free, which can help address areas of challenge, offer enrichment in an area of current interest, or let your child explore a new subject or activity to engage their imagination and build skills.

Summer is an especially good time for kids to play educational games or to learn how to keyboard. For kids who follow current events, Project Vote Smart offers age appropriate information on how our government works, what roles different elected officials play, and things to consider as the November election approaches. For the kid in all of us, the Schoolhouse Rock series on YouTube offers several entertaining videos about how the government works.

Whatever your summer plans, we hope you and your family remain safe and healthy, and wish you a Happy 4th of July!

Summering Safely in 2020

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted our lives and the lives of our children in ways that no one could have predicted. From a spike in unemployment, to online school and all the challenges that it brings, everyone is tired and looking forward to warm, sunny days filled with beach vacations, days in the park, ice cream on the boardwalk, and playground excursions.

Unfortunately, although infection rates have diminished and most areas are slowly starting to open up with restrictions, COVID-19 is by no means conquered, and significant risks remain. Even as summer begins, research shows that a warming climate does little to mitigate the effects of the virus. Summer 2020 is going to look different from summers past.

Due to the asymptomatic nature of some cases of COVID-19, anyone could be walking around and spreading the virus without their knowledge. That is why it is important to continue to practice both mask-wearing and social distancing. It’s annoying--I know I’ve already driven out of my house, realized halfway to my destination that I forgot my mask, and been forced to turn around--but it really can make a difference in the spread of the virus, especially if combined with staying six feet away and frequent hand washing. The good news is that children do not appear to be a high risk group for COVID-19. The data collected by the CDC shows that the vast majority of confirmed cases belong to adults, especially adults 65 and older. But it is not impossible for a child to contract it, which is why schools were closed and why children older than two should wear a mask and practice social distancing. In addition, parents and scientists are concerned about the emergence of a multi-systemic inflammatory syndrome that shares many characteristics with Kawasaki disease, an inflammatory disease of childhood that can affect blood vessels

Summer 2020 won’t be like past years, but it can still be a fun and relaxing time for families. In this post we will discuss some of our ideas for summer activities that can help slow the spread of the virus while keeping kids happy and occupied. Arts and crafts, a classic childhood activity, can be a great starting point. Drawing with crayons and colored pencils, painting, using Model Magic, or even textile activities like knitting and crochet will keep kids of all ages occupied and away from large crowds. Some crafts can even be adopted as a group activity for everyone in your household, such as tie dye, puppet shows, or cooking. Arts and crafts are great because they encourage creativity and hard work, while also keeping your child safe from the virus.

For older kids and larger households, games are a group activity that can bring variety and excitement to a summer in social isolation. Growing up, my family played a lot of card games and board games, and it was a great way to bring us closer together. During quarantine, it helped us to forget about the news for a while and just focus on spending time together. There are literally millions of games on the market, but a classic to start with is a simple deck of cards--it’s inexpensive, and the possibilities are endless.

Although exposure to crowds of people should be avoided, you don’t have to spend your whole summer staying indoors. Having a day out at a local park should be safe as long as you wear a mask, practice social distancing, and sanitize your hands. It’s a good idea to do some research to figure out which parks near you are more popular and which ones may have less people. Where I live, the state government released a list of guidelines and restrictions that should be followed, as well as which parks are more likely to be crowded with people. Each state will have different guidelines for using facilities, which activities are open to the public, and which parks attract the most crowds.

Finally, certain states will be opening summer camps in a restricted capacity as reopening proceeds. The American Camp Association released an 82-page reopening guide for camps attempting to open this summer. It emphasizes that camps should only be opening with permission from state and local authorities, usually during Phase 2 or 3 of reopening. Campers will be required to be screened for symptoms each day, activities will take place in small groups only, frequent sanitizing of camp materials is strongly recommended, and materials should never be shared between campers. These restrictions could possibly make camps more expensive, and some camps may not be able to open at all. If you normally send your child to a camp, do some research to see what kind of amended summer schedule the camp will operate on this year.

These restrictions are annoying, exhausting, and especially difficult for families with children. But, by following them, we can help stop the spread of the virus which has already done so much damage to many families all over the world. We look up to superheroes, the people who go to great lengths to protect strangers from harm. Now, we have to do the same thing. But it doesn’t mean that we can’t find things that make us happy, even with restrictions. We must strive to find a balance between our individual mental health and the good that we can do for others. Summer 2020 will be tense and difficult, but we can make it fun, too.

Getting Back to Work and School

While it is still July and summer has weeks more to run, in many parts of the country, school begins by mid to late August. Your blogger has just returned from a couple of weeks of castles, cobblestones, and cake and, like many other adults going back to work after vacation, returning to the office took some determination.

For kids of all ages, returning to school after summer vacation requires some adjustment. By beginning a few weeks before the first day of school, parents can help smooth the transition from vacation mode to the early rising and more structured days once school starts. There are important ways to make the first day back to school less stressful for everyone.

• Clearing Out Last Year's Backpack

Way too often, kids toss their backpack in the corner of their rooms as they come home from the last day of school, often leaving them untouched all summer. If you haven't done so yet, now is a good time to work with your child to locate and unpack this bag. Much of the contents can be tossed -- into the trash or the washer -- but there may be important papers that should be retained as well as information about summer assignments that will be due in the fall. And you may want to check out this guide from our colleagues at The American Academy of Pediatrics to selecting a new backpack.

•  Summer Assignments

Most children have some kind of assignment to complete over the summer: a list of books to read, perhaps a book report to prepare, or even a longer report to hand in when school begins. The due date for these assignments seems far away in June, but leaving them to the days before school begins inevitably results in crisis mode. By locating these assignments (see the first item above) and getting started on them reasonably in advance, they can be completed slowly and carefully over the course of several weeks and families can avoid havoc the night before classes begin.

• Sleep

We've written before on the importance of easing into a school-year sleep schedule and how it needs to be done gradually. This is especially important when students have had few, if any, limits on their schedule during the summer months or when they are moving to a new school where their start time will be significantly earlier than it has been in past years. Teens, in particular, need far more sleep than most regularly get, and lack of sleep can have an impact on school performance.

• For Children with IEPs

Parents of children with IEPs or 504 Plans should take time over the summer to review these documents, making sure that they (and their older children) know what services, modifications, and accommodations they provide. Sometimes, these can fall by the wayside with new teachers or new schools. It's reasonable to give schools a week or two to put services in place, but not much longer. As we have written before, if your summer includes a move to a new school, school district, or even a new state, you should be aware of your rights with respect to your child's IEP. 

• Time to Get Comfortable

Summer is also the time to make sure your child is familiar with the route to school, or the bus stop. If he or she will be attending a new school, they may have had a tour before the last school year ended. If not, try to visit the school at least a few days before it opens. Going to a new place can be scary for anyone, especially children. The more comfortable they are with the school and the routine, the easier things will be when classes begin. 

Keep in mind, that there still are a number of weeks of summer fun ahead, and these tips aren't meant to cut them short. But, by doing some planning while summer is still in full swing, the end of the season will be a bit easier for children and parents alike.

Summer Subjects

We've noted before that the questions that families ask us tend to come in bunches. Many of them are seasonal, and lately we have been asked lots of questions that relate to changes that families may make over the summer and to summer activities. We thought these might be of general interest, so are sharing them with our readers.

Moving

For many families, summer is the ideal time to move. There will be less disruption in school and by the time the new school year begins, everyone will be unpacked and ready to roll. But what about families where children have IEPs? These have been worked out with the student's current school. But how does a child get an IEP by the time classes start in her new school?

Fortunately, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) sets out very specific rules for all kinds of moves -- to a new school within the same district, to a new district, or even to a different state. You can read one of our prior blogs- What Happens to My Child's IEP When We Move? to learn the details that may apply to your family. 

College Road Trip

Back in 2010, we wrote about a summer activity for many families whose children are approaching college age -- the College Road Trip. Take a look at our timeless suggestions for ways to get the most out of your travels to college campuses. And remember, even if your trip isn't focused on visiting colleges, any road trip can include a stop at a local campus, even if it is not somewhere your student plans to apply. Seeing a variety of campuses helps give context to what different schools look and feel like. 

Summer Vacation

We also have suggestions for Making the Most of Summer Vacation, tips like how to get ready for a new school, ways to keep skills fresh, and how to handle summer assignments. [Hint: don't wait for the last minute!]

Summer Skills Building

We've also got tips for ways to use the summer break to build vocabulary skills, phonics, and to improve math skills with a tool called Dreambox. 

Sun Safety

Finally, we have suggestions on keeping kids safe in the summer sun. It's not always easy to get children to use sunscreen or to cover up, but the evidence is overwhelming about the dangers of too much sun exposure over time. 

So, enjoy your summer, which is flying along way too quickly!

Summer Reading Resources

Summer is a great time for children to take advantage of the often slower pace to build their reading skills. It's not always easy to pry kids from their screens, but there are some excellent resources that can help children grow a love of reading that will last well beyond their school vacation.

Once place to begin is with a summer reading initiative from Reading Rockets, called Start with a Book.

Start with a Book allows kids and parents to start with a topic -- music, inventions, science, and many more -- and suggests books at an appropriate level for kids of all ages. The website also contains tips on the importance of reading aloud, how to build a home library, and how to get kids hooked on reading, during the summer and all year 'round.

Closer to home, here in New York City, the Brooklyn Public Library, New York Public Library, and Queens Library all have summer reading programs for kids. The Brooklyn Library program kicks off this coming weekend with activities in all branches.  There are also book lists for all ages, as well as challenge contests. The Queens Library has its kick off event tomorrow, at branch libraries throughout the borough. And the New York City Library has a guide to summer reading, with book lists for all ages.

Help your child find a book and make summer more fun while building skills for the next school year.

Apps for Summer

With folks hitting the road for the July 4th weekend and other summer trips, families will be spending lots of quality time together all across the state, country, and globe. But there’s one piece of travel we may not think about very much – down time. Every trip, but especially the long haul plane and car rides, involves some significant amount of time when there really isn’t much for kids, or parents, to do. Waiting at the airport, sitting in the back seat of the car, or transferring from one train to the next – these are probably the hardest parts of vacation to plan. What are the kids going to do during all this “in-between” time?

Since tablets and smartphones became synonymous with child-rearing, the options for down-time have increased exponentially. But watching YouTube videos or playing mindless jumping games for hours on end is not most parents’ goal. Luckily, NPR Ed recently published an article highlighting some of this summer’s best apps for kids. Some of the best apps are educational, but kids can’t tell they’re learning while they play. NPR recommends that parents turn to Common Sense Media, a nonprofit that reviews apps, games, movies, and other media directed at families. They aim to provide parents with information about age appropriateness and learning potential so that families can make proactive choices about how kids spend their screen time. The reviews are very comprehensive and cover things like what skills are being worked on; what the experience is like for the player; whether the media includes positive messages, violence, or other noteworthy features; and the overall quality of the media.

The NPR piece gives a shout out to Motion Math (5+), which is one of our favorites here at The Yellin Center. What’s notable about the Motion Math series of apps is that they engage the player in immersive experiences, like learning basic economics while running a pizzeria. Another series of apps rated highly by the folks at Common Sense Media is Toca Boca. One of the Toca Boca apps is Toca Lab: Plants, which offers young kids (6+) an opportunity to freely explore and experiment with the basics of botany. There’s no “winning” in this game; the game is focused on kids growing plants and evolving them into new species by discovering what plants need to survive. This cute game packs a big science punch for young minds. Other Toca Boca games are focused on habitats, chemistry, train sets, and building robots. Parents can choose apps for their little gamers based on their trip’s destination.

For the even younger crowd (2+), there are a plethora of colorful, slow-paced puzzle apps. Some well-rated examples are Slide & Spin; which works on fine motor skills and is reminiscent of those classic wooden toy boxes that allow toddlers to tap, slide, and twist knobs to make objects pop out of boxes; and Busy Shapes, which gives kids a digital playground to explore and manipulate as they learn how objects influence other objects.

An absolutely adorable app that popped up in our search is Peek-a-Zoo, rated five stars on Common Sense Media. Peek-a-Zoo is extremely simple and geared towards the youngest of gamers. The game has children choose an animal based on a facial expression or emotion. For example, one screen asks “Who is surprised?” and it’s the child’s job to use the facial cues to pick the correct animal.

Common Sense Media also has curated lists of apps based on age, including the Best Kids’ Apps to Download Before a Flight. Before you set off for the airport or pile into the car for your upcoming family road trip, consider curating a set of apps for your children to use. And for the purists among us, there’s even a highly rated app version of the classic license plate game, where family members compete to spot license plates from different states or with different designs.

Making the Most of Summer Vacation

Here in New York City, the school year runs until the end of June, but we know that in some places summer vacation has already begun. Whether your child’s school year is winding down or behind them, there are some steps you can take now to make the summer more productive and to set your child up for a smooth transition when the next school year begins.

New School? New Class?
For students who are starting a new school next fall, whether because they are moving up in their own community or whether your family is relocating over the summer, becoming familiar with the new school building will help diminish any anxiety your child is feeling as September approaches. Often, incoming students will have had a chance to visit their new school as part of a class trip, but additional walks around the grounds, tours of the building (if it is accessible over the summer), and exploration of the neighborhood around the school may all help your child feel at home in a new setting.

If your child will be taking the bus, or the subway, or walking to school for the first time or in a new place, practice can make the process easier and less stressful for parent and student alike.

Summer Assignments
We’ve all had the experience of receiving a reading list at the end of the school year, with instructions to read a certain number of books and perhaps write a report – all due in September. It’s a rare student who has the drive and organizational skills to actually plan their reading and writing on their own so that August doesn’t bring a flurry of activity and anxiety. Parents can help by having their child unpack their backpack as soon as school ends, retrieving reading lists, assignment sheets, and supply lists for the next year. Breaking summer assignments down into manageable steps – and making sure that each step gets done on schedule – will alleviate the last minute rush that can interfere with a leisurely end to the summer.

Keeping Skills Fresh
Kids don’t want to spend their summer working on academic skills. Unless a student is required to attend summer school for academic reasons, or because he has an IEP that includes extended school year services, the best approach to keeping skills fresh or building new skills might be to use technology and games to make learning seem like playing. We’ve got more than two dozen suggestions for games involving almost every subject, for a wide range of ages. Check out these and our other ideas, such as coding and robotics resources,  for fun ways your child can exercise their mind over summer break.

And keep in mind that not all skills are academic. Summer is a great time to learn chess, work on swimming, and visit new places. Have fun and happy learning!

 

Summer Skills Building: Phonics

Today's post continues our occasional summer series on fun ways to build academic skills during the summer.

It’s hard to blame kids when they groan at yet another phonics worksheet. Workbooks can be important skill builders, but they’re not the only way to reinforce phonics skills. Make it fun (especially in summer!), and kids will argue when it’s time to stop instead of when you ask them to start! One way to do this is with a nearly endlessly adaptable game we developed called Phonics Toss.

You can set this up to practice with lots of different phonics skills, but we’ll imagine you want your child to practice the long a sound for the sake of this explanation.

Materials:

• several sheets of paper and a marker
• something to toss that won’t roll, such as a poker chip, a coin, or a popsicle stick
• a roll of masking tape (optional)
• a list of words. You can also make up words as you play!

Set-Up

• Isolate whichever sounds you want the player(s) to focus on. (See the end of this post for some more suggestions if you’re not sure where to start.) There are three primary ways to spell the long a sound in words, so write “ay,” “ai,” and “a_e” in large letters on separate sheets of paper. Lay them on the floor.
• Optional: designate a line or make one with masking tape so no one gets too close to the letters when throwing.
• If there are multiple players, ask them to decorate their marker somehow. They can draw on a popsicle stick, choose a sticker to place on a coin or poker chip, etc.

Play:

The adult should start each round by saying, “The 'a' sound in” and then saying a word with a long a sound such as “chain,” “state,” or “play.” Staying behind the line, players should toss their marker at the paper with the correct letters on it. Markers that land on the correct paper earn a point. The adult in charge can offer a reward if a certain number of points are reached, or eliminate scoring to play for fun.

Other Sounds and Letters to Practice (in order of difficulty):

• Number of syllables (for this one, write numbers on the papers instead of letters)
• Initial sound (e.g. words that start with f, g, or h)
• Rhyming words (instead of writing letters, draw simple pictures on the papers like a cat, a man, and a sad face and call words that rhyme with “cat,” “man,” and “sad”)
• Digraphs (e.g. /sh/, /th/, and /ch/)
• Short vowel comparisons (e.g. short e versus short i)
• Short vowels versus long vowels (e.g. short o versus long o)
• All long vowel spellings (like our example above, but with e, i, o, and u)

Summer Skills Building: Vocabulary

It's summer and thinking about academic skills is not high on any student's "to do" list. But the slower pace of the summer months makes them an excellent time to build skills that will be helpful when school begins again. This summer we will be featuring several blogs that will be looking at ways to build skills, work on problem areas from the past school year, and get ready for the challenges that September will bring. Don't worry -- we know it's vacation time and won't be suggesting anything too rigorous. We hope that our suggestions can help your student have fun, build strengths, and start the new school year ready to tackle what lies ahead.

We have written extensively on building vocabulary, and our prior posts have included a number of tools that can enrich students' vocabulary at all levels, from computer games to books to the importance of talking to young children to build their skills. Take a look and see what might be helpful to your child.

We have a few more suggestions that you might want to have your student try: 

• Wordly Wise 3000  

This computer-based program for grades K-12 teaches new vocabulary and definitions with audio and visual support. It also offers online games and activities to help reinforce the new vocabulary learned from the word lists.

• A.Word.A.Day 

This subscription service sends daily emails containing words selected for students in middle and high school. Students receive a daily email including the word, its definition, origin, and pronunciation, and several sentences containing the word. Students  should be encouraged to learn and use the new word regularly to gradually increase their vocabulary.

• E Readers

Another way to build vocabulary is to do summer reading on an electronic book reader, such as 

Amazon’s Kindle. An eReader allows students to tap on an unknown word to easily access the precise definition without interrupting their reading. Keep in mind, however, that the kind of light emitted by EReaders can interfere with sleep, so they are not good choices for before bedtime reading.

Summer Sun Safety Tips for Young People

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, just a single bad sunburn in childhood more than doubles the odds that a person will develop dangerous melanoma later in life. Sounds scary, but luckily there are lots of ways to keep your little ones’ skin safe during the summer months when burns are more likely to happen.

The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends using a wide spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 15+ on children older than six months. (Babies younger than that should be covered up, as they’re too young for sunscreen.) Spray-on sunscreens, which should not be applied directly to kids’ faces, are excellent for squirmy toddlers. Remember that everyone is susceptible to skin cancer, no matter how dark his/her complexion, so protect all kids. And although parents often think of sun protection only before trips to the pool or all-day outdoor adventures, remember to use sunscreen before even shorter excursions outside. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - the CDC - notes that, "Unprotected skin can be damaged by the sun’s UV rays in as little as 15 minutes. Yet it can take up to 12 hours for skin to show the full effect of sun exposure. So, if your child’s skin looks “a little pink” today, it may be burned tomorrow morning. To prevent further burning, get your child out of the sun."

When kids and water mix on hot summer days, think about protecting areas that are often overlooked when applying sunscreen, like the underside of children’s chins, noses, and earlobes. Sun reflected upwards from the water can burn just as readily as sun that comes from the sky. Also, be sure to use water resistant sunscreen and to follow the directions carefully. Lots of parents forget to wait between application and swimming and don’t reapply as often as they should when water is involved.

The American Optometric Association reminds us to look beyond kids’ skin at the lake, beach, or pool. According AOA, 25% more UV rays get reflected off water and sand than are already coming from the sky. Because children’s eyes don’t filter out the sun’s rays as effectively, their retinas get blasted with three times the annual dose of UV exposure that adults’ eyes do. So, for summer fun on non-reflective surfaces, be sure to pop a hat with a brim on your little ones. And kids should wear wrap-around sunglasses when they’re on water or sand.

Got a teenager who insists that tan is cool? Help her investigate some of many the tanning lotions and sprays. They’re perfectly safe and will help her resist the temptation to bake in the sun (or worse, a tanning bed).

No matter how vigilant adults are about slathering sunscreen on their kids though, the best thing they can do is lead by example. Parents who bemoan their pale legs or sunbathe doused in baby oil are demonstrating that sun exposure is perfectly safe, and this lesson speaks louder than any carefully worded lecture about sun protection.

Agricultural Science for Kids

There is something about summer that makes even the most resolute city folks think about farms, growing fruits and vegetables, and rolling fields that seem to go on forever. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service has just the ticket for sparking kids' interest in matters of farming, noting on a website geared for children and their parents and teachers that "agriculture is more than just cows and pigs on the farm."

The Agricultural Research Service is the chief research arm of the U.S.D.A. and employs some 2,100 scientists at 100 locations nationwide, including a few outside the United States.

The site features a "cool careers" section which allows kids to explore the many kinds of scientists who work in the field of agriculture, from chemists and horticulturists to hydrologists and nematologists (scientists who study worms). There is a "for teachers" section with an extensive list of resources and classroom activities, educational puzzles and crosswords to print, and a separate section on science projects (including ideas for agricultural focused projects and how to set up a successful project). 

Teachers may want to use the site to help them plan for the coming year and parents may want to spark their children's interests in connecting with the science behind the bounty at their local farmers' market. It's chock-full of information and ideas and a great way to get kids involved in this important aspect of the world around them. 

Dreambox - A Fun Option for Summer Math Learning

The words “summer vacation” don’t conjure up images of math remediation in most kids’ minds. But for those who struggled during the school year, ceasing math instruction completely during the summer is risky. Many kids need continued exposure to math to maintain what they know and maybe even gain some ground. At the Yellin Center, we’re firm believers that kids need lots of unstructured time to be, well, kids during the summer, however. So how to strike a balance? Dreambox may be the answer for some families.

Dreambox is a web-based math software package that provides math instruction in the form of games. But there’s serious research behind the fun. The skills taught are carefully sequenced and the program is able to continually assess users, allowing students to progress at their own rate. Based on answers the student enters, the program identifies and remediates areas of demonstrated need.

One important thing to note about Dreambox is that parents cannot dictate what specific skills the program will teach. In other words, there is no way to force the program to align with student’s classroom curriculum. Instead, Dreambox will identify gaps in learning that may have gone undetected in previous instruction and remediate those areas. This capability is what makes Dreambox such an ideal tool for summer. Math is a very cumulative subject, so often a child struggling with a particular concept today is actually demonstrating a weak understanding of skills learned last year. The software will fill holes in a student’s understanding and provide him with a solid platform from which to begin next year’s math learning.

Because the program is fun, parents won’t need to beg and plead to persuade kids to spend twenty minutes playing a few times a week. And families on the go can even download the Dreambox app to keep learning via tablets and smartphones. Dreambox may even be appropriate for the future mathematician in the house; it can give her a taste of more advanced material if she whizzes through all the more basic lessons.

Although kids won’t need adult support to use Dreambox, the Parent Dashboard allows parents to stay in the loop by monitoring their kids’ progress. Dreambox will target weak areas, of course, but information about what skills still need work may be useful to teachers at the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year.

Visit the Dreambox homepagefor more information. The program is available for whole-school use, but the “Getting Started” tab provides pricing and information about purchasing subscription for a single child or just a few kids. A free 14-day trial is also available for those who want to take the program for a spin.

No software program we’ve seen can take the place of a skilled, intuitive instructor. But for families strapped for cash or kids who need just a boost or a platform for maintaining their skills, Dreambox could be an excellent solution.

Resources for Summer and After-School Programs

The calendar tells us that Spring is here -- notwithstanding the freezing temperatures, biting winds, and predictions of snow tomorrow!  So, we started thinking ahead to summer programs and activities for students and, along the way, found some great suggestions for school year programs as well.

For New York City families, there is a terrific list of both summer and school year programs on the website of InsideSchools.org.  The list is organized by interest area: math, science, arts, humanities, and academic prep. All of the programs are free.

The folks at New York City's Resources for Children with Special Needs have extensive listings of camps for children with issues ranging from ADHD to medical disabilities. They have a new "camp match" program that allows parents to find camps specific to their child's needs.

A national program, with locations from New York to Hawaii, After-School All-Stars partners with schools and both local and national organizations (such as the NBA) to provide after-school activities for school age children who need a safe, fun place to be after school and who can benefit from academic support offered in such a setting.

The American Camp Association website offers information on the more than 2,400 camps they accredit and provides information and tips on camping for parents and children on everything from how to choose a camp to how to deal with homesickness

Some area school for students with learning difficulties also offer summer programs, designed to integrate academic support and summer fun. Winston Prep offers summer programs in both its Norwalk, Connecticut and New York City locations. There is also a summer program for students with language based learning disabilities at the Windward School in White Plains, NY. And the Aaron School, in New York City, has links on its home page to separate programs for students ages 4-13 (Camp Green Trees) and ages 14-21 (Project Innovation, a technology based program).

Stone Barns Farm Camp

Attention New York parents: Worried your kids’ urban lifestyle is too far removed from nature? Stone Barns Farm Camp may be just the thing for your youngsters.

Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture  is located just 25 miles north of Manhattan. Set among idyllic rolling hills and graceful woods, Stone Barns is dedicated to growing healthy and sustainable food using an agricultural system that’s good for animals, plants, nature, and people, too. Not only do they provide humanely raised animals and pesticide-free produce, Stone Barns is committed to educating children about food and stewardship, and to teaching farmers about restorative farming techniques.

Farm Camp will give kids from kindergarten through eighth grade the chance to do things they’ve probably only read about, or seen on TV. They’ll get to explore the pastures, fields, and woods of Stone Barns Center, learning about farming in a fun, hands-on way. Your child may discover she loves reaching into the silky feathers of a mild-mannered chicken to collect a freshly laid egg. Or, he may cultivate a talent for helping move sheep from pasture to pasture. Campers will learn about growing and harvesting produce and cooking delicious, healthy food, too. Camp at Stone Barns will be packed with activities designed to help kids forge connections to food, farming, and nature in a way that’s nearly impossible in New York City.

If your child is already booked for the summer, fear not: Stone Barn offers other opportunities for kids (and everyone else) to learn about farming and safe, sustainable, and healthy food production. Your child’s teacher may wish to book a visit  for the whole class, where K-12 students will go on a tour of the farm and get to try out a farm chore or activity. And you’re always welcome to take a family trip to the farm, which is open from Wednesday through Sunday year-round. Any time of year is a good one to visit Stone Barns, even winter; for example, visitors from late February through early March can learn about the maple sugaring process. Take a guided tour, or explore on your own with a self-guided tour.

Registration for 2014’s summer Farm Camp begins January 15th, and we urge interested parents to act quickly! You must be a member of Stone Barns, but the membership fee gives you a discount on camp enrollment and on the fresh, organic farm products sold in the Farm Market. Visit Stone Barns Farms’s camp webpage  for more information.

photo of chickens: woodleywonderworks

photo of sheep: Martin Pettitt

Easing Into a School Sleep Schedule

July is winding down and August is coming up fast -- and for many families that means the start of the school year. Even here in New York City, where school usually starts later than most places, teachers report on September 3rd, although religious holidays push back the start for students until September 9.

Adam Inglis

One important way that parents can help students of all ages get ready for the upcoming school year is to think about sleep We've written before about the importance of sleep and how sufficient, high-quality sleep is crucial for optimal academic performance. When we work with students and parents we inquire about sleep and look at how inadequate sleep, or sleep disruptions, may impact student performance.

During the summer, it's easy for families to put aside strict bedtime rituals and for children to go to bed later than usual, or to sleep well into the morning. Teens who find summer a great time to socialize without the demands of homework may be up later than they would during the school year. And parents, who have enforced bedtimes during the school year, may themselves want a break from arguing about when it is time to go to bed.

Unfortunately, moving from the pace of summer to the more demanding days of school, and the need for a reasonable amount of sleep before leaving home at an early hour, can't happen the night before school starts. Families need to start at least a couple of weeks in advance -- more if possible -- to ease into the schedule they will follow in the fall. It's also important to think about whether your child's regular school year sleep patterns provide sufficient good quality sleep to help make their upcoming year a success.

Learning Links: Recent News

Photo: monkeyatlarge

• Do Kids Really Have ‘Summer Learning Loss’? (Time Ideas)
• US Graduation Gain for Students with Learning Disabilities, but Challenges Remain (Southern California Public Radio)
• Fewer Minority Kids Diagnosed with ADHD (Reuters/Yahoo)
• Rate for Subsidized Stafford Loans Doubles (Alaska Public Media)