It’s hard to believe that in a few days school will be out for the summer. Tyler’s school
year ends next Friday, although for all practical purposes it ends this Friday. Next Monday-Wednesday they are testing. On Thursday, they have the fifth grade graduation ceremony, class parties and they get out early. On Friday, they will be dismissed at 11:50.
Should learning stop when the last school bell rings? When I was a child, we didn’t do anything in the summer but play and have fun. We attended vacation bible school for a few weeks each summer but that was it. We didn’t have all the camp, art and reading program offerings kids have today. Of course, most moms didn’t work so there was no need for summer camps because the moms were taking care of their own kids.
When your child is gifted, there’s no time-out from learning. Tyler’s little brain never stops. He’s so fascinated with the world around him and all that it has to offer but it can be exhausting for me. He’s already gone through the entire first grade and some second grade workbooks that I bought him earlier in the school year. Since there’s no gifted kindergarten class in his school district, his teacher allowed him to bring his own material to class. He was able to work on it independently when he finished his assigned work. That worked out well for him because it eliminated any misbehavior in class due to boredom.
Now I have him for three months and I have to find things to occupy him all day long. It’s a daunting task, trust me. Plus, I still have my own work to do. Otherwise, I will have to work late into the night and not get much sleep.
I have found that Tyler learns best by simply observing and doing. And he loves helping me with my work. So this summer he will be my intern (I’ve always wanted one of those!). There are many things he can help me with and learn in the process. For instance, I have two major articles I am working on. One is about the transatlantic slave trade and the other one is a profile of Ruby Bridges, one of the first African-American students to integrate the public schools in New Orleans. I can have Tyler help me locate the books I need at the library- a great introduction to the Dewey Decimal System. And we’ve already started discussing the issue of slavery and civil rights.
I’m writing two additional pieces about local museums. One is a police museum and the other is a firehouse museum. He’ll be right there besides me as I interview and look around both museums. He’ll get the chance to see some great artifacts and I know he’ll have many questions. He’ll probably want to read more about some of the questions dogging him.
Of course, this summer we will do some things he wants to do- movies, the park, the mall- and he’ll have lots of time to simply run and play outside. Everyday is an opportunity for your kids to learn. It’s not hard to do and it can be fun and educational.
See also:
Sending Your Kids to College for the Summer