My childhood was spent overseas. We started school at 8 and finished at noon, so there was a whole stretch of day-time to enjoy: the open air pool, sliding down the hill on rattan mats to the safe beach directly in front of us, the enormous space of green, also in front of the house, for cricket, rounders and hopscotch……….the wooded area at the rear which was home to a kaleidoscope of butterflies and climbing challenges; or just watching the afternoon golfers as they honed their skills on the course which ran alongside our home. With my pocket money at the ready, there would be walks to the village and decisions to be made about what to buy and, more significantly, whether I could afford it and how much I would have left for the rest of the week.
Evenings were a time to spend with parents, playing board games, cards, puzzles and word games, consequences or reading, drawing and painting, embroidery or perhaps creating a miniature world of my own with plasticine or setting out the farm and the animals on the kitchen table. The boys no doubt would have their toy soldiers and Dinky cars, and I had dolls dressed in clothes made by my Mother, their rocking cradle, quilted on the inside and transfer painted outside, cleverly made by my Father – and when the monsoons came, there was all of this for daytime, too.
Other indoors activity was how to make and cook the things I loved to eat, which was a whole world of pleasure, setting oven temperatures, using recipes, weights and measures and gauging sizes and capacities, judging space and cutting greaseproof paper accurately. Later, in my adult world, the pleasure to be added from growing fruit and vegetables to use in the kitchen was enormous, but life in our particular Far East environment didn’t include garden vegetable plots or allotments!
There was no ‘technology’, no ‘consumerism’ and no ‘designer’ anything. We had no television to influence us one way or the other – no media, unless you count the radio for the news. In short, it was a privileged childhood because there were no pressures. I lived my young years protected, safe, nurtured and loved. In many ways, life has become much more difficult and far more complex for families.
What’s the purpose of all this personal reflection? Well, it’s to make the contrast with what we’re told is a need to guide parents on how to keep their children off their mobile ‘phones (and other technology) and to help them be active and learning through the school holidays. If parents need this nowadays, and if children need this, then of course they should have it. Of course they should. After all, we’re told that experts say learning should be promoted in a fun and engaging way, so that children don’t even know they’re doing it. Well, there we are, then. All those years ago, and it is true – I didn’t even know I was learning – and how expert were my parents?
Parents who need help to maintain their children’s learning throughout the summer will find this from Tutor Doctor Leeds Northwest. Mike Richmond tells us ‘Just because it’s the summer holidays, it doesn’t mean that education has to switch off. It’s completely normal – and surprisingly easy – for parents to incorporate learning into their every day, whether it’s adding up the shopping bill or creating a unique world out of Lego.’
Mike has given us his top tips for promoting learning over the summer:
Reading doesn’t have to be boring! For some students, they might be happy sitting down with a fiction book but for those that aren’t, why not get them researching your holiday destination – whether that’s in the UK or overseas.
Keep a diary. Not only does free form writing help build a vocabulary, it also helps to develop their thought processes and really grasp how to articulate how they feel. Even if you’re not going away on holiday, they can still document their days: describing the activities they do, the places they visit and people they meet. If writing isn’t a strength, then combine words with photos, ticket stubs or cut up leaflets and brochures to build up a great record of time spent together. This could even mean a trip to local library to explore different types of book. There are so many superb children’s authors at the moment!
Budget and schedule the holiday. Encourage children to practice budgeting your holiday money so you have enough to last. Ask them to allocate funds for every member who is going, as well as factoring in any activities you have planned and looking at a schedule or timetable. Children usually love doing this as it gives them a sense of responsibility. It also means they’re using everyday maths skills in a useful way.
Play board games. The holidays are a perfect time to play some board games as a family. Not only is it a great time to bond, but it can provide hours of entertainment for everyone. Games such as Scrabble or Monopoly are ideal for children to practice their spelling and counting skills without realising they are doing so. More unusual games like bao and carrom can help with fine motor skills, turn-taking and developing strategy.
Get them in the kitchen. Encouraging children into the kitchen with you this summer might be difficult if the weather is nice, but it can be the perfect opportunity to practice a whole host of different skills. Reading and following recipes, measuring out ingredients and using their maths and science skills to make a meal or cake. You’ll also get the chance to promote kitchen safety, such as holding knives and operating the oven – which are invaluable life skills too. There are also some interesting young chefs out there with TV programmes and books who your son or daughter might be inspired by.
Develop their green fingers. If the summer does offer us some nice weather, getting children outside, and into the garden is a great way to keep both mind and body active. Children can learn all sorts; from the growth process of plants (measuring different sizes and figuring how much water they need) to key facts about all of the different species. It might not be something they use academically but entertaining them with different activities and learning techniques can help to keep their brain active.
Mike says: “Learning can be implemented in many ways and can prevent any learning loss over the holidays. Promoting education and supporting children throughout the summer can also help ease them back into things once they arrive back at school for the new year.”
Mike is hosting daily STEM workshops over the summer which will focus on the time-tested everyday activities which can fill children’s lives away from a computer or TV screen and – yes – create that continuum of learning to prepare them for all kinds of life’s challenges ahead:
https://www.tutordoctor.co.uk/leeds-northwest/about-us/stem-summer-workshops/
Photographs provided by Mike Richmond.
