Welcome to another online addition of the Arizona Promising Practices forum. For those new to this service, each issue, which will now be sent to you on a regular basis, will focus on: (1) Recommended National Educational Websites; (2) A Local or Arizona Website/Practice of Importance; and (3) One promising practice article in condensed form. We welcome your recommendations for improvement to this forum or suggestions on future topics (these will be wide ranging to if nothing in this update interests you, hold on for future editions!) The Arizona Promising Practices Forum and website, www.azpromisingpractices.com is a FREE resource of the Arizona Department of Education.

Mary Urich, ACPE Director murich@mail1.ade.state.az.us

For the next few upcoming issues, we have been overwhelmed with request to disseminate strategies that will help students with learning skills over the Summer break. Given the emphasis of the No Child Left Behind Legislation and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that focuses on continual improvement of children academically, the issues will provide research and practical applications that may be used by teachers, schools, parents, and students. In this issue we will focus on summer learning activities that educators can disseminate to assist parents in improved learning over the break. Regardless of whether the child is at risk, has special needs, or is just looking forward to the break, these activities will provide ongoing learning experiences. This practical activities guide is brought to your courtesy of the National School Public Relations Association.

But first:

National Website of Importance - Communication Strategies are extremely important to educators if they are to improve learning and facilitate change in students, parents and communities. The National School Public Relations Association offers many resources to help improve teacher and school communication processes. Check them out at www.nspra.org  

Promising Practice Research and Tips

As summer vacation approaches, families often make plans to put away the deadlines that come with schoolwork, and look forward to a less-pressured schedule of learning activities. While this is a perfectly appropriate expectation, parents should remember that summer vacation isn't an excuse for children to take a "vacation" from learning.

Skills mastered during the school year fade with disuse. Loss of content retention begins within 24 to 48 hours of learning, unless the new information is reinforced or applied immediately. Within a month without reinforcement, most of what your child has learned is lost.

Here are some tips for parents to stimulate their child's interest and curb the summer learning gap:

Math activities
To keep up math skills, buy books of number puzzles at any bookstore. Or consider investing in math-related computer games.

Teach children who have allowance or regular spending money how to budget. Ask them to make a two-day column list of expenses and income. Under expenses, they list what they expect to spend for movies, lunches, etc.

Then, have your youngsters add all the expenses and subtract the total from the income. Ask them to think of ways to reduce their spending. If their income is more than their expenses, talk about a savings plan.

Social studies activities
If you're taking a family vacation, send for brochures that describe the history and culture of the places you'll be visiting. And help your children plot the trip on a map.

Help your child learn about people from different countries. Suggest talking to neighbors from foreign countries, reading library books about other cultures, reading newspapers and watching TV specials.

Writing activities
To keep writing skills current, but children a notebook and let them decorate the cover. Then tell them it's their vacation journal, and have them write down three things that happen each day.

Have your child write to distant grandparents, family members, or pen pals. This activity will tell you a lot about achievement in language, spelling and reading.

Help your children improve their thinking and writing skills by looking carefully at newspaper, magazine and TV advertisements. What is the main point of the ad? What details does it use to communicate its message?

Reading activities
Take your children to the library regularly. Most libraries sponsor summer reading programs with easy-to-reach goals for preschool and school-age children. Check the library calendar for special summer reading activities and events. Libraries also provide age appropriate lists for summer reading. www.bloomingtonlibrary.org

As a family, choose an important news event to follow for a day or two. Ask each person to find as much information on the topic as possible; read newspapers, listen to the radio, watch TV news. Then talk about what everyone has learned.

Other tips
Speak with your child's counselor or teacher before summer to determine academic strengths and weaknesses. This will help you prepare for the school year ahead.

Figure out ways to make hobbies educational . A child who loves to collect baseball cards, for instance, could practice penmanship by writing fan letters to players, math by keeping track of their statistics and reading by taking out books on baseball from the library.

Stimulate curiosity and love of learning by planning family trips to the zoo, museums, a local newspaper office, the beach and other places packed with learning opportunities.

Source: It Starts on the Frontline/May 2000, published by the National School Public Relations Association, 15948 Derwood Road, Rockville, MD 20855: (301) 519-0496; www.nspra.org.