Learning Planner

THE DAILY LEARNING PLANNER

The Daily Learning Planner is a list of ideas parents can use to help students prepare for school. Here are some lists of ideas:

List 1

1. Ask your child to record his summer. He can keep a journal, take photos or make a video.
2. Does your child have a summer reading list from school? Check out a book on the list from the library.
3. See if your child can think of a business to start this summer.
4. Ask your child to help a neighbor just to be kind.
5. Check out an astronomy book at the library. Familiarize yourselves with constellations and planets.
6. Take a walk with your child tonight. Look for the constellations and planets you read about.
7. Suggest that your child start a book club with friends.
8. Ask your child to imagine what life was like before TV. How did people get the latest news?
9. Start a list of places your family would like to visit.
10. Go on a nature walk with your child. Bring pen and paper. Write down questions. Find answers at the library.
11. Brainstorm about something with your child. For example, how could your family save money on electricity?
12. Talk with your child about what character traits she has that will eventually help her in the workplace.
13. Can your child name all 50 states? Help him.
14. Learn about your state or country's flag. What does it represent?
15. Visit a farmers market with your child. Buy fresh vegetables and make a salad for dinner.
16. Talk with your child about the parts of an orchestra.
17. Designate a week in which family members do nice things for each other.
18. Ask your family to pick one habit they'd like to change. Practice the new habit for 21 days to help it "stick".
19. Does your child have an "anger diary"? Have her review the ways that she handles being angry. Ask her to brainstorm other positive ways she can channel her anger.
20. Explain to your child the concept of banks charging interest for loans. What is the current interest rate?
21. Brainstorm about a family problem. Have everyone voice any suggestions that come to mind.
22. Teach your child how to make his favorite food.
23. Tell your child you love her.
24. As you drive, talk about traffic safety with your child.
25. Keep your child physically active by making exercise a fun routine.
26. Put on a family talent show.
27. Cut out a review of a kids' movie. Suggest seeing it together.
28. Tell your child a story that teaches a moral lesson.
29. Discuss a TV commercial you see with your child. Talk about the sales techniques it uses.
30. Watch the news before dinner. During the meal, have each person express an opinion about a story.

List 2

1. Teach your child how to play chess or checkers.
2. Plan a fantasy worldwide trip with your child. Use a map to pick destinations. Think what you'd like to do in each place.
3. Have your child convert the miles you travel today into kilometers.
4. Encourage your child to think about abstract concepts, such as freedom, faith and character.
5. Ask your child to teach you a skill, like programming the DVD player.
6. Ask your child to think about her accomplishments.
7. The next time your child makes a request, ask him to put it in writing.
8. Give your child a hug today
9. Have your child imagine he is taking a ride in a hot-air balloon over his neighborhood. What does he see?
10. Ask your child to name the senators from your state.
11. Make up questions about articles in the newspaper. Use a timer to see how fast your child can find the answers.
12. Give your child an IOU for time to spend together.
13. Keep the TV turned off all day today.
14. Call out words from the dictionary during breakfast. Take turns guessing how to spell and define them.
15. Make a family tree with your child.
16. Ask your child to tell you one thing of hers that she would never be willing to sell at any price.
17. Make a TV viewing schedule. Choose shows you and your child will watch together.
18. Call out a math question as you toss your child a ball.. See if he can say the answer before he catches it.
19. Encourage your child to invite a friend along for a family activity.
20. Challenge your child to learn about your community’s history.
21. Read the same mystery book with your child. Talk about it.
22. Invent something with your child.
23. Ask your child to count how many fruits and vegetables your family eats in a day. Fewer than five? Try to improve.
24. Think of something your child and you would like to learn. Check out a how-to book at the library.
25. Let your child add freshly squeezed lemon juice to grape juice and watch the color change.
26. Teach your child how to balance a checkbook.
27. If your family could have any animal as a pet, what would it be?
28. Do something you've never done before with your child. Try a new food. Listen to a new type of music. Visit a new place.
29. Thank your child for helping out with chores today.
30. Make up a story with your child. Take turns adding sentences.
31. Have your child play you her favorite song. Play a song you loved at her age.
    
     

List 3

1. Ask your child to plan one thing he wants to do before school starts. Make arrangements to do it.
2. Suggest that your child start going to bed and getting up at the same times she will during the school year.
3. With your child, pick an important news event to follow for a day or two. Talk about what you have learned.
4. Explore an old cemetery with your child. Talk about the time periods on the headstones.
5. Talk with your child about his plans for the day.
6. Encourage your child to write a letter to a relative.
7. Challenge your child to walk someplace instead of being driven.
8. Look at maps in an atlas. Have your child help find the shortest route from one city to another.
9. Suggest your child write a thank-you note to someone who has helped her.
10. Take a trip to the library with your child.
11. Go on a picnic with your child today.
12. Let your child choose a recipe to follow from a cookbook.
13. Look through old family albums. Tell your child stories about his relatives.
14. Ask your child what she thinks is the greatest invention.
15. Make tonight kids' night in the kitchen.
16. Open the dictionary to a random page. What new words can you find there?
17. Visit a museum and have each family member pick a favorite work of art.
18. Let your child take on a new responsibility.
19. Have your child list his friends' names and phone numbers. This will come in handy for homework help.
20. Talk with your child about dating. Share your values and standards.
21. Ask your child to pay attention to things she might not usually notice about a book. When was it published?
22. Ask your child to guess the length of a table. Measure to see if he's right.
23. Give your child a budget for buying back-to-school clothes.
24. Look for a tobacco ad. Have your child redesign it to show what can happen when people use the product.
25. Ask yourself, "What do I do to support my child's learning?"
26. Talk with your child about your priorities.
27. Give your child a newspaper article. Have her circle all of the adjectives.
28. Visit a nearby college and have a bite to eat on campus.
29. Talk about your child's summer. Can he name three things he learned?
30. Help your child establish a "study nook" for the new year.
31. Discuss recent world events at the dinner table.