· Stimulate a continued love for learning by signing your child up for one of the many interesting and fun reading clubs offered by a library, YMCA, church, or summer school.

· Understand that your children are always learning from you. Children pick up your attitudes about people, your work, school and education. Because summer provides an opportunity to spend a little more time together, they'll learn a lot more. Make it positive!

· Make every day a "victory" day for your child. If they feel good about themselves and their lives, they'll develop the confidence to grow into secure adults. You can
offer reinforcing praise on the everyday things they do right,
show them you love them,
encourage their "personal best",
talk things over with them, and
let them know they are loved and cherished through your actions.

· Make a game out of family learning. One way is to play "let's learn a new word" by encouraging the whole family to incorporate a new word into their vocabulary and use it at least 3 times in a family conversation. Take turns picking out the word.

· Encourage your children to keep a daily diary of activities and to write letters. They can write for information, samples, or brochures, as well as writing to family and friends who live nearby or in other parts of the state or country. An when they receive a reply, they'll be encouraged to write again.

· Reinforce reading skills by encouraging your children to read signs and instructions along the highway, selecting a topic-of-the-month which both you and your children will read about, and by providing lots of interesting books and magazines to read.

· Maintain math skills by encouraging your children to figure out trip distances and times of arrival on car trips; playing games with them that require math skills such as dominos or Yahtzee; encouraging them to go into business with friends to mow lawns or sell lemonade, keeping track of income and expenses.

· Enjoy learning together! Set aside some time every day to share what you each learned during the course of the day.

-- These ideas were taken from INSIGHTS FOR PARENTS written by Judy McDaniel.