Here are some activities to help keep those skills sharp over the Winter break.

• Read together as a family, Read non-fiction, fiction, picture books from the library, chapter books if your child is ready for those,  ebooks, books on CD’s, poetry, newspapers, and magazines. For most children, twenty minutes is an appropriate amount of time to read for a child who is an independent reader. If your child needs help reading, then be there for them. Read to them. Read in front of them, they will model your behavior.
• Cook with your children. This is one of the best ways to integrate math, science, reading and following directions.  Let your child plan the menu too!  Help your child put together their favorite recipes in a cookbook.
• Take a field trip to a museum!!
• If the weather is nice and mild visit the zoo or local park with walking trails. Keep a journal about places that you visited.
• Learn a new word each week! Hang it on the refrigerator, practice every day. Place magnetic letters on the fridge and use them to make the new words that you are practicing.
• Play quick games with flashcards like Math War, Concentration, go fish or crazy 8’s. These are fun to play as a family.
• If you are visiting relatives, listen to e-books or books on CD, as your travel down the road.
• Take pictures and make a scrapbook of your winter break activities.
• READ EVERY DAY!!!!!!!! Visit the local library and check out lots of books.
• It is important to keep your child’s mind engaged during the school breaks so they will not slide back and forget the things that they have learned.