Set up a summer-long experiment to see how small changes in environment affect plants. Begin by planting identical plant seeds or young plants in 5 different containers (you can use cut off milk cartons or plastic bottles as your pots)
Summer Reading Recommendations for “Number Smart” Kids
Growing Patterns: Fibonacci Numbers in Nature. By Sarah C. Campbell. Crisp design and clear photography introduce and depict Fibonacci patterns in nature. Fever Crumb. By Philip Reeve. A lone girl sets out on a mission to retrieve lost technology in a
After Happily Ever After
Choose a favorite story to act out as a family…but don’t start at the beginning–start at the END! Have each family member choose a different character to play and act out what happens next in the character’s lives. Extra Credit: Every
Journal Jar
Because self smart kids generally have a good handle on their emotions, moods and reactions and enjoy self-discovery and reflection, journaling is often a favorite activity and an enjoyable way to develop linguistic acumen. But just getting your child a
Yaaaayyy, Learning!
While there are a significant number of people on both sides of the fence as it relates to Brain Gym’s trademarked series of movements and whether or not they work, there IS a significant amount of scientific evidence that movement (particularly
Shape Poetry
A shape poem is one that describes an object and is written in the shape of the object. To get your child’s creative juices flowing, you can look at examples of shape poetry here. Next, have your child pick an object
Calculation Composition
Musical notations are intrinsically tied to mathematics. Whether the fractional notes need to add up to a complete measure, each measure needs to be equal to the time signature, how the written notes are essentially “graphed” on the ledger or
It’s (Math) Party Time!
The common core standards set forth the following criteria for math proficiency are grounded in 8 math “commandments” that include contextualizing, strategizing, modeling, precision, reasoning, structure, content proficiency and perseverance. We feel these standards are missing a crucial first step…
You’ll Hit It Out of the Park with Me In Your Corner
One of the most critical vocabulary elements to “nail down” when learning American English (or any culture’s language) is the use of idioms. An idiom, as defined by dictionary.com, is a group of words whose meaning cannot be predicted from
Skillful Singing
For most adults, recalling the alphabet goes hand-in-hand with singing the tune, as do many of the concepts we learned in school. For musical kids, this effect is even more pronounced. Chat with your child about some of the language

