Mid-year break

The holidays are a time when we want to allow our students to take a break from school. The reality is that their brains do need to rest a bit from the more difficult course work of 6th grade. Another reality is that we don’t want their brains to turn to mush, sitting idle during the holidays.
One way to keep your child’s brain engaged during the holiday break, without forcing her to do actual school work is to have her engage in creative endeavors that reflect the time of year.
　
There are many crafts that can be done, from making Christmas ornaments to cooking. The holiday season is a great time to get your 6th grader in the kitchen, following directions, using math to figure out recipes, understanding the science behind leavening agents, and elapsed time between putting an item in the oven and taking it out. The great part about this is a lot of great tasting results come from these learning…err…fun projects!
Other learning/fun projects might be photography, scrap booking, or music in the form of singing or listening to recorded music. All of these things can be exciting, and engaging. And they will prevent your child’s brain from turning to mush, while giving them time off from their academic subjects. This type of learning period will help your child come back fresh and ready for regular school subjects after the holiday break.