Online Summer School Program (elementary)

[Luca]

Hello All, i hope i can find some good resources here from other parents.

My son will be in second grade next year and his school is doing daily classes via zoom, for about 2 hours. That is working pretty well, although i am concerned about him not learning enough for his age (it’s a public school trying to adjust to this new normal)

Wife and i are both working full time (from home at the moment) and under normal circumstances we would send him to a summer camp during summer but we are not living a normal situation so that is not an option and during this covid summer i would like to

1. enhance his education
2. keep him busy because unfortunately we don’t have the time to educate him/entertain him during the entire day, plus we have no relatives to help as we are immigrants living in LA.

Therefore, i was thinking about some online course to continue his school activity when school will be closed - wondering if anyone has good recommendation for an online summer program, i checked Kolbe and Seton that i see frequently recommended here for homeschooling but they don’t seem to have a summer program for his age. Then there is a ton of other websites so i could really use some help to narrow down the research. Thank you!

 

[Cor_ad_Cor]

Honestly, as a parent of a similarly aged child (in a very rigorous parochial school) and as a teacher, that 2 hours/day zoom sounds like a LOT for his age!! Let’s not forget that the pandemic climate takes a toll on children, too, and in ways we don’t often notice right away. Plenty of down time and play is well deserved - and can be in itself educational. I wouldn’t worry too much about a formal summer program; just find some brief, 15-ish minute per day activity to keep the material fresh and the mind engaged, and maybe switch up subjects daily. It need not be formalized. 10 practice addition problems with a happy, rested, emotionally/mentally well-balanced environment will go further than a full day of mathematical drills in a stressful or overtaxed scenario every time. The best thing a child can do is (1) read and (2) learn to observe the world through play.

 

[TheLittleLady]

If your 6/7 year old will sit through 2 hours of Zoom, the teacher is AMAZING and your son is exceptionally great at focusing. Heck, I could not sit through 2 hours of zoom instruction.

Agree with @Cor_ad_cor , since you will be home, find fun ways to learn. Our library has online resources like ebooks that could be fun.

Collect rocks, do math flash cards, make clay objects and as manipulatives to learn math, have a spelling bee where he earns stickers. LOTS of outside play is vital!!

 

[Allegra]

I don’t have a recommendation for an online summer program persay. However, I do have some recommendations for keeping your kid’s mind active. First of all, Kiwicrate. It’s perfect for your son’s age. It’s about $20 a box and they send the materials for three projects and instructions that are very easy for a child to understand and carryout. The projects differ depending on the line you choose. For example, the “tinker” crate is about building something. There is also a more artistic crate line and a line based on geography and learning about different countries. They all have a creative, an artistic, and a STEM aspect to them though. When the crate is used, you don’'t have a pile of unused materials you have to find a home for. (PS- If you do order, PM me. I have a code for $10 off your first crate and if I get so many people to use it, they eventually give me a free one.

I also recommend the Epic website, especially if your local library isn’t available right now. It’s basically an online children’s library. They can pick all kinds of books and you can assign them books as well, based on their reading level. Many of the books have a “read to me” option, if they are too hard for you child to read on his own.

For math, I plan on having my kindergartener use her Dreambox account periodically over the summer, to keep her skills fresh. I don’t know about all grade levels, but it seems to be really good at getting kindergarteners to think mathematically. If your son doesn’t use Dreambox, I also recommend the Peg + Cat games at PBS.org. They are fun reviews on practical math concepts such as adding, subtracting, telling time, making purchases and changing money back.

Basically, if you spend a half hour a day reading something, and maybe a couple short sessions a day on a math activity, you kid will probably do pretty well toward retaining what they’ve learned.