Plans for summer school

Learning never ends. Learning takes place all the time, even during the most mundane of tasks. I like to use this to my advantage during the summer when most kids expect to be able to take a break from school.

Yes, I'm relentless in my education of my son. I can't help it. I've always enjoyed learning new things, and I'd like to think that he will too as long as I make it fun and/or rewarding.

I've convinced my son to do a summer reading program of our own making. The libraries around our area each have their summer reading programs, but the prizes are more fun for younger readers. So I told my son I'd get him prizes he would appreciate and enjoy if he agreed to read during the summer. He accepted that challenge.

We are also still doing computer software training (Flash and Photoshop mainly) because Nick really enjoys creating cool animated graphics. It wasn't hard at all to get him to want to continue that education. I use Lynda.com to teach him these programs because it's all videos. He can watch a little, pause the video and practice what he just learned. Each video is usually less than a few minutes, so it works for those with short attention spans. He also does a little of his own research on programs he wants to learn, by looking for tutorials on Youtube. I'm proud to say he came up with that idea on his own.

I also bought K'Nex Education toys to brush up on some physical science fun. My son loves his building toys, so these K'nex Education toys are terrific. They come with a Teacher's Guide CD to give teaching points on the projects involved. I'll try to keep a low profile on the teaching thing and just let him have fun. I know I'll probably squeeze some tidbits of knowledge into these activities somehow, but for the most part, the act of engineering the structures will be the best learning for him.

We will likely take several field trips and just explore what nature has to offer as well. Sometimes something as relaxing as watching the wildlife is an education too.

What does everyone else have in store for their young learners this summer?