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Top summer learning activities for teens
Sneak learning into your high schooler's summer days to prevent the off-season brain drain.
By Jacquie Goetz Bluethmann
Ramp up reading
Chances are your high schooler has a summer reading list — but don't stop there. Teens should read magazines, websites, and newspapers to improve reading comprehension, build vocabulary, and increase their knowledge of current events.
Now that your reading aloud days are mostly over, try a new spin. Let your child select a book for you both to read, then discuss how it to turn it into a movie: What actors would play the protagonist and the villian? How would you film the dramatic opening and closing scenes? If the book has been made into a movie, watch it together and discuss how the two compare. If your child has access to a movie camera and friends who are willing to act, encourage her to make her own film.
If your child enjoys a certain book, encourage her to read another by the same author. Start with a riveting book series for young adults.
You may want to buy your child an E-reader, if you think it will boost her enthusiasm for reading. Another high-tech option: encourage your child to experience the classics via podcast. Open Culture has a terrific list of free podcasts.
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