Don’t Let Learning Stop For The Summer!

We like to look back on our summer holidays as a time for adventure, travel, and hanging out with friends.

And we think that’s absolutely right. Summer holidays should be a break from packed school timetables. They should be a chance for children to relax, unwind and try new things.

Without the reinforcement of repetition, however, it’s easy for hard won knowledge to slip away during the six week break. And this feeling that you’ve forgotten everything from last year can make the first day of school more daunting than it needs to be—particularly in an exam year.

How can we make sure the learning process doesn’t come to a dead stop in the summer holidays? How can we make sure our children start school in September feeling confident and happy to see their classmates?

Everyday Maths

Maths exam papers questions encourage students to use their maths skills in real world scenarios.

There are lots of opportunities for you to demonstrate this to your own children. For example, if they’ve any interest in cookery, it’s a great opportunity to demonstrate how ratios work.

If you’re eating out, it’s a great opportunity to let them figure out the percentage tip you should leave, or how to split the restaurant bill.

And if you’re travelling abroad, it’s a chance to let them figure out what the prices are in pounds—particularly when they’re nagging you for a new t-shirt!

Everyday History

Did you know there are more castles per person in South Wales than anywhere else on the planet? Our rich heritage makes this a great area for fun and educational day trips.

The National Museum and the Museum of Welsh Life at St Fagans are free to all, while Cardiff Castle has a Castle Key scheme that grants free entry to city residents.

A short train-ride away, the Big Pit National Coal Museum in Blaenavon is a great place to experience our industrial heritage.

You don’t have to go abroad to experience culture and history—they’re all around us!

Everyday English

It’s important to get your kids reading, and letting them choose a book for the holiday is a great ritual for doing this.

If you’re going abroad, it gives them something to do on the plane or if the rain starts coming down!

Children also love to express themselves and a great way to do that is to encourage them to keep a holiday diary.

You can go the old-fashioned route and buy them a notebook, but there are any number of free blogging sites if they fancy writing things online.

If they don’t enjoy writing at all, keeping a video diary or vlog is a great way to encourage self expression and learn how to use editing software.

Weekly Tutoring

It’s worth bearing in mind with all of this that a few hours of tuition a week doesn’t have to be intrusive, but will help children retain knowledge and start the new term with confidence.

For all of your educational needs, Cardiff and Vale Tutors has experienced tutors who can make sure the learning never stops.

Enjoy your summer!

This blog was written by Dr. Thomas Tyrrell, a Creative Writer and A level English Literature tutor for Cardiff & Vale Tutors.