Whether your child is a high achieving student or needs some extra help, summer is a great time to practice all kinds of school related skills. Your child’s teacher knows your child’s skills better than anyone else and are your best resource.
Ask your child’s teacher for a suggestion on each of the following:
- What is the most important skill my child could work on academically?
- What social/emotional skill could my child work on improving?
- If there was one thing your would recommend that my child could do over the summer what would it be?
Some of parents who read this will think that their child doesn’t need to work on any of the skills listed above. Believe it or not, every child has something to work on! Your child’s teacher spends at least 8 hours a day with your child in a setting far different than your home. They know many things you don’t know about your child!
Finally, and most importantly, when you ask the teacher these questions, listen carefully and be open-minded to what they are saying. Their advice will only make your child a better person and student.
Smart Mom University 
Very good advice! If it is too late to talk to a teacher buy the workbooks at the grocery store for the school year your child has finished…..if they can do the whole book without too much work they are probably ready for the next school year. Schools can no longer afford the field trip to show kids art, history and science exploration. Parents can help fill in a whole education by giving children exposure to new and different ideas, hands on activities are best.