In a little under six weeks, Term 4 will end and the long-awaited summer holidays will begin, allowing school staff, parents, carers and children a well-earned breather.
But while parents and carers are mindful about maintaining regular learning activities and practice during the summer holidays, what can teachers do to prepare students to thrive beyond the classroom?
Education entrepreneur and founder of Eduinfluencers, Rochelle Borton says it’s important for parents and carers to stay connected with schools.
“Going to school is not only about academic learning, but also social relationship and peer to peer interaction along with developing social skills,” Borton told The Educator.
“A combination of reading, planning time for playing and using everyday activities such as cooking to apply learning strategies makes tasks enjoyable and informative.”
Below, Rochelle shares her top three tips for teachers to prepare students for positive learning beyond the classroom:
Create points of interest that students might access during the holidays
Children are inquisitive. While the scrolling screen has some attraction, the world is still happening. The challenge of working and finding interests to engage your children is tough and the local paper is a great opportunity to discover what is happening around. Community events such as guided explorations of the surrounds, art galleries and museums may seem like standard fare, but local history groups can spark students’ interests and start new, meaningful conversations.
Plan a holiday journal, writing of interest
Journals can be written, a series of pictures and collected images, or created using a phone or other digital device. The advantage of a digital device is immediacy; point, click and create. Simply set the task of 2 photos per day, something like an interesting sign or a funny looking tree and describing the image adds to the experience. Journal apps can make this fun. Creating a holiday digital journal is more than a social media post, it is a private reflection and collection of thoughts both kids and parents can look back on and reflect.
Create a reading list of upcoming and recreational text
Dr. Seuss wrote "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go." Classrooms are full of books and children ultimately read to learn. The holiday period can be the time to read for fun and enjoyment. There are endless lists of 'must read books', books that movies are based on, and books recommended for each age. A trip to the bookstore creates an interesting activity to do and creating a reading list for your child, based on their interest, and managed by you can ignite conversation that shifts reading from the classroom, into the holidays.