Re-engage Your Kid's Brain for the School Year | Parenting

The summer is winding down and school supplies are already taking over Target and Staples stores. But other than getting all the fun gear the kids need for school – parents also have to get their children’s brains in the right frame of mind – so to speak.

Bethlam Forsa of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (a Boston-based publishing/education company) offers some simple tips for parents to re-engage kids’ brains for the school year – no extra budget required.  Both parents and kids will have too much fun to realize there’s learning involved.

· Follow your favorite sports team – Help kids track wins and losses, and favorite player statistics. Make a family chart with individual predictions on scores and game outcomes. An end of season analysis can show who had highest percentage of winning predictions. (LEARN: math, analytical skills, critical thinking, probability)

· Plant a garden - Have children research what grows best in your neighborhood, offer proposals for what they want to plant and why, chart growth, and experiment with different watering cycles. (LEARN: math, science, reading, cause and effect, observation and recording)

· Prepare a summer recipe/ Plan a family dinner – Kids can read cookbooks and search online for the best recipes. Then they can plan a family dinner and calculate how to double or triple the recipe depending on number of guests. (LEARN: working with fractions, reading and analyzing, understanding and following instructions)

· Go food shopping - Assign the challenge of buying food to feed the whole family lunch or dinner for $12. Can you decorate the table for under $2 more? (LEARN: problem solving, using data to make decisions, critical thinking

· Read aloud - No child is ever too old to be read to. Pick books well above their reading level but in their interest zone and a regular time every night to read. (LEARN: vocabulary development, sophisticated language proficiency, background knowledge development, oral language and listening skills). Kids should also be encouraged to read to their parents (LEARN: fluency, comprehension development, oral expression)

· Visit local historical sight – Pick a local sight of historical significance (such as a park named after a famous resident) and have children research who the person was and what contributions he/she made to your local community. (LEARN: history, geography, reading and research skills)