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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
Numbers that aren't mind-numbing
Make sure your child hits the ground running next fall. The National Summer Learning Association reports that students of all backgrounds lose about two months of math skills during summer break. Here are a few awesome ways to keep your teen’s math skills sharp.
• Driving for dollars - On family road trips, have your teen estimate how much you'll pay for gas ("If gas is $4.23 per gallon, and we need 111.5 miles of gas, how much will it cost?") Or ask your child to create a family vacation budget. This simple worksheet is a great place to start.
• Online gaming - On Illuminations, your teen can play Calculation Nation with other teens on the web, or check out activites from decoding text messages to understanding sound waves. Or connect you teen to phone apps like Unblock Me, which features countless mind-stretching puzzles.
• Math menu - When you're eating out this summer let your child calculate the tab. Ask her to estimate the meal total (without going over), and when the check arrives, let her estimate the correct tip. At the grocery store, ask your teen to estimate your total grocery bill. If this doesn't interest your eye-rolling teen, make it worth his while by offering to let him keep any money he saves you by finding acceptable, less expensive alternatives to the items on your list.
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