Follow these 6 easy guidelines to help keep learning alive during the summer:

1. Provide Time. Work with your child to select the best time for reading or working on activities. Suggest a time before your child has played and has become tired and hungry.
2. Provide Materials. Have sharpened pencils with erasers, a ruler, scissors, a glue stick, extra paper, and crayons ready in a tub or a box. Store the supplies and Daily Summer Activities in an easy-to-reach area you and your child choose.
3. Provide Lots of Encouragement and Support. Your response is important to your child's feelings of success. Use stickers, stamps, or hand-drawn happy faces to recognize a job well done. Keep your remarks positive. Recognize effort.
4. Encourage Reading. Read to your child every day. Talk about the story and ask what it was about. Visit the public library every week or two. Reading children should read 10 to 20 minutes each day.
5. Keep It Short and Fun. Create a relaxed and positive attitude toward learning.
6. Go on "Learning Excursions." Take advantage of all the opportunities around you to increase your child's learning--in the car, while shopping, or on special outings. Go shopping and compare prices of items purchased. Take nature walks; look, listen, and touch to explore the outdoors. Explore your community and identify different buildings and landmarks.