It doesn't seem possible that December is upon us but here it is, a magical time of year that also can be a bit of a blur. Between now and early January, most of our calendars are chocked full of extra seasonal activities, celebrations, traveling, hosting family, sports tournaments and so on. Sprinkle in winter break for two weeks and your child's study routine can quickly become obsolete.
While winter break is awesome for so many reasons, the gap in daily norm to study and stay on top of their schoolwork can make it difficult for students to pick back up in January, especially for those taking finals.
This is when having an excellent tutor who has weekly sessions with your child makes an even greater difference. If you do not yet have a tutor, it is not too late! Our awesome team is very knowledgeable at finding unique ways to keep your child brushed up on their studies in the midst of the daily busyness. Regular tutoring helps maintain a sense of routine. Over time, your child will understand that dedicated study time is just a normal part of the day before they can get to more exciting activities.
When it is not a regular tutoring day, there are lots of fun methods to keep your student challenged while out of the classroom.
Here are a few simple ideas for winter break:
Have fun baking cookies to decorate, but save a few to cut in halves, thirds, fourths and you can then work on fractions together.
The library is a wonderful source of curriculum tools. Your younger student may enjoy a date to pick out a few seasonal books to read together over the break.
Snag two copies of a good novel to read together with your highschooler on a long car ride. Compare thoughts on plot meaning and characters, and even watch a coordinating movie afterwards.
Speaking of media, we know that time away from the classroom makes it easy to add in extra screentime at home. If you feel overwhelmed by all of the Netflix and Instagram, it may be useful to set boundaries with specific allotted time for TV or social media. This will make it easier to keep a plan for study time too. On days without their tutor, this ensures space in your child's day to review notes or revisit a particular subject.
When it is family movie night, cuddle up and watch your favorite show with a twist. Change your language settings to Spanish and see what your DLI student can understand and relay.
It's a lot of fun to pull up a neat science experiment online and try to replicate it together or go outside on a clear night and see what stars you can identify for a little astronomy test. Local museums like the Discovery Place Nature in Charlotte are wonderful resources and a change of scenery as well.
There are endless ways to keep your child's mind stimulated while also having a good time. It's also always beneficial to make time for rest. When winter break is coming to an end, getting back into your family's bedtime routine a few days beforehand will make for a smoother transition when the alarm clock goes off in 2023.
Most importantly, we hope you enjoy this fleeting time with your child! Having a tutor can ensure they are staying brushed up on their skills and their studies, while allowing plenty of quality family time.
If you do not have a family tutor, we would love to share more about our process. Email us today at sarah@beamtutor.com or call Sarah at 704-785-1342. We would be honored to be a consistent source for your child's academic needs!
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