By Amanda Harwood. Early Years Foundation
Every week the children in our class write about something they did or saw, or an event they took part in over the weekend. At first this was very difficult for them to remember anything they did over the weekend or during a holiday and I received many pieces of paper that said “I played.” This activity of writing I soon realised was also an exercise in remembering and focusing their thoughts and perhaps generating an activity inorder to have something to write/tell in class. We have come a long way since those papers with “I played” written on! I now have everyone bursting to write all the varied things they experienced. A few well aimed questions will encourage them to extend their writing even further.
I thought I would put together a few ideas for some things to do over the summer to support your child in being more aware of their surroundings and to think a bit deeper about what they are seeing and doing!
When children have lots of experiences to draw on, they have a better chance of making a connection with what they read/write! Help your children build background knowledge this summer with perhaps an activity from the suggestions below or make your own up.
Step 1: Take summer field trips
Go to the park, the zoo, the aquarium, a sports event, a historical landmark, or a children’s museum. Go on a walk or to a natural attraction in your area. When you’re indoors, watch a TV program about volcanoes or the rainforest or marsupials, or use the web to take a virtual field trip to a faraway place. Example of a virtual trip
Step 2: Talk about it
Talk about the plants and animals you see, or the rules of a game, or the history of your town, or the new things you learned. Ask questions that get your child to talk, like “If you could be one of those animals we saw today, which one would you be?” or “Why do you think those boulders were shaped like that?”
Step 3: Follow up with a book
Find out what interests your child, read a book together to get more information. Check out books about butterflies or basketball players or whatever caught your child’s attention. Encourage their learning with comments like, “That was interesting to see the inside of a computer at the museum today. Let’s learn more about that.”
You could even have your children create their own book, with photos or illustrations of your activity and their own commentary. This is great writing practice and makes a wonderful summer memory book.
Building background knowledge isn’t just fun, it’s also a great way to spend your summer!
Enjoy the photos below of our field trip.
