In previous years summer school almost always mean having to make up for academic limitations - not anymore! Summer school can really augment the knowledge of children and make child education advanced for their age.

Here are pointers on why summer school is advantageous from about.com:

- Summer school helps prevent “brain drain” of topics learned over the previous year. Since school is a stepping stone where each year provides the foundation for new skills the upcoming year, forgetting basic school-level skills is a real problem for teachers every year.

- Since class ratios are very small, or even one-on-one, students benefit from receiving quality instruction with fewer distractions.

- Target tutoring allows students to benefit right where they need it the most.

- Students with low self-esteem or academic concerns benefit greatly from summer school. While their report cards may show an A, the may be fearful about new concepts to be learned and whether they will be able to grasp the content as quickly as their peers.
- Summer school is a great confidence builder, in that a student entering a grade where fractions will be learned, for example, can enter into the classroom already having that base understanding to feel better about overall school success.

http://childcare.about.com/od/schoolagetopics/a/summerschool.htm

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Nourishment and physical activity are two of the most important factors which should be fulfilled thoroughly in children as they enter school. Parents can make sure that this part of child development is properly taken care of.

Here are the basic food groups which you should carefully target:

- meats and poultry,

- milk and dairy,

- grains and bread,

- vegetables, and

- fruits.

Now here are some nourishment tips you can apply:

- Talk about it. Teach your children about the different food groups and how important it is to eat a variety of good foods.

- Eat together as a family. Practice what you teach. Parents serve as role models for developing lifelong habits.

- Limit or eliminate foods with sugar: candies, pastries, soft drinks.

- Give younger children small portions. Let them ask for more if they want more.

- Give younger children 5 or 6 mini-meals a day. They have smaller stomachs. It may be an easier way to make sure they get a variety of foods throughout the day. The whole family may want to try this as well. Small mini-meals throughout the day can prevent overeating and high calorie snacking.

- Provide nutritious snacks: fresh fruits, low fat cheese, and cereal with low fat milk.

- Limit eating at fast food restaurants. Fast foods are typically high in fat.

- Don’t expect a clean plate. This can lead to overeating.

- Try a variety of low-fat cooking recipes. Find healthy foods your children will love.

As for fitness:

- Let your infant roam around, safely, as much as possible-limit time in strollers and playpens.

- Make sure your children get outside to play at least 20 to 30 minutes everyday.

- Plan weekly family outings that involve being outdoors: biking, swimming, Frisbee.

- Have a variety of fun equipment that promotes fitness: bouncing balls, basketballs, soccer balls, jump ropes, badminton, hula hoops, and bicycles.

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Discipline is an integral part of child development. However, it requires lots of parenting skills because it can’t be overdone or accomplished in little increments. So here are a few guidelines to child discipline from mychildeducation which you can do to ensure that your child will grow to be a person of high emotional quotient.

1.Let child know what you expect from him or her.
2.Let your child express different feelings both positive and negative ones
3.Redirect children to other games ,toys when misbehaving.
4.Incourage your child’s even small victories
5.Offer child simple choices.
6.Try to stay reasonable and motivate your child
7.Make deals.
8. Avoid uncontrollable flash of rage
9.Check the time
10.Stay patient – children are not adults, don’t make too high expectations.

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Schools may have a prerequisite age to start their program on a child but the knowledge of reading can be learned any time for the dedicated toddler and the passionate parent. Child education is all a matter of will and enjoyment - and it is up to the parents to make it exciting for the children as he/she prepares to be taught.

The U.S. Department of Education recommends the age of six months as a good starting point for read to babies. According to the research, the hearing of words is enhancing the child’s comprehension. Reading to your baby is one of the best ways to help her learn.”

Here are a few suggestions from the Department of Education to help introduce your child to the wonderful world of reading:

- Using sounds, songs, gestures, and words that rhyme to help your baby learn about language and its many uses.

- Point out the printed words when going with your child anywhere, to the shop, to the library, or just a colored poster.

- Spending as much time listening to your child as you do talking to her.

- Regardless on where and when you go, take all children’s reading materials with you. This gives your child fun activities to entertain and occupy her while traveling and running errands.

- Giving the opportunity for a child to work quietly somewhere in the house, i.e. creating a working place.

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Spelling is one of the early major obstacles that can be faced during child education. As a parent, you should keep the training consistent by integrating everyday items and activities in sharpening this important skill.

The refrigerator can be an excellent classroom alternative. Buy magnetic letters which your child can se to form words. A game consisting of a list of words is also a handy choice - the favorite is to list letters which are spelled alike and only changes one letter.

The common denominator with each attempt to integrate spelling in the comfort of one’s home is to make it fun and easy to do. Games are always a good way to catch your toddler’s attention. Here are few more suggestion from mychildeducation.com:

- Play word-finding games. Give your child old newspapers or magazines, get them to highlight or draw a circle round every word that ends with ed, or every word beginning with p. Think out harder games as your child learns more.
- Draw or cut out pictures of things that have only one letter different (like pen and pin) to help them get used to how different vowels (a,e,i,o,u) work.
- Give a mirror to your child so he/she can see how their mouth moves when saying letters that can easily get mixed up when they write them down, like m and w, or p and g.
- Think up games to help your child see the difference between words like tap and tape or hop and hope where the last letter changes the way you say the whole word.
- Have them to play at rearranging letters to make other words (anagrams) out of their name, or other words they know.

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Sweets don’t always have to be unhealthy. Try to put in a pinch of health consciousness with this exciting recipe for kids: fruit skewers with chocolate dip. These sweet delights are a regular in birthday parties and with good reason - they are a hit among children. Here is what you may need:

Ingredients:
(Serves 6)
3 pears, peeled and cut into quarters
6 apricots, halved
12 strawberries
2 tbsp caster sugar
Wooden skewers

Chocolate Dip
½ cup milk chocolate, chopped
½ cup + 2 tbsp cream
6 marshmallows, chopped
2 tbsp chopped toasted hazelnuts

Method:
Soak the wooden skewers in water before using to prevent them from scorching.

For the chocolate dip melt the milk chocolate, cream and marshmallows in a small saucepan over gentle heat, constantly stirring. Bring to a boil and whisk rapidly for about 2 minutes until the sauce thickens. Stir in the hazelnuts and set aside.

In a bowl, combine strawberries, apricots and pears and sprinkle with sugar. Toss gently. Divide the fruit between the skewers.

Heat up the BBQ and cook the fruit skewers for about 5 to 6 minutes, turning frequently, until the fruit is warmed through.

Serve immediately with the chocolate nut dip. Enjoy

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Of course we can never be there all the time to monitor the activity of our children. This is why it is important that we ingrain in them the values of child safety. Moreover, we should always be there as much as possible to guide and supervise our children. Empower them to make sound choices in unsafe situations.

Here are some top child safety tips straight from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police:

1. Teach children their name (especially their last name), address, telephone number and parents’ names, places of work and contact numbers. Also, how to Dial 911 at home and from a public telephone in an emergency situation. Keep in mind that the extent of information learned will depend upon the child’s age and maturity level. To help children remember, review this important information often and reward progress.
2. Insist that very young children hold the supervising adult’s hand continually while walking to and from stores, play areas, school grounds, camping and the like. Older children should stay close by the parent.
3. Children must be taught not to wander away from you in public places or play ‘hide and seek’. If they become separated or lost, teach them to tell someone with a name tag, a cashier or a security guard right away, preferably a female.
4. Encourage children to travel in groups , regardless of their age. The popular ” buddy system ” works best
5. Insist that children check with you before accepting a ride, gift or candy from someone , even if they know the person. Children should be told that adults do not ask children for help.
6. Always have a family secret code word that only the family knows. This code must be used to identify the “safe” person if a child is to be picked up in an emergency situation by someone other than their parent or care giver. In addition, a child should never leave with anyone without notifying the person in charge .
7. Teach children it’s OK to say “NO” . Also, if a person tries to grab or restrain them, teach them to scream loudly , scatter belongings, knock over furniture, make a loud noise and shout, “THIS PERSON IS NOT MY PARENT.”
8. Take your child around the neighbourhood where they frequently walk and play, pointing out ’safe houses’ - houses they should feel safe to approach or enter in an emergency.
9. Establish a ‘ Communication Center ‘ in your home so you will know where family members are at all times. It should be set up in a prominent, easily accessible location, supplied with sufficient pencils and paper to write notes, and where a list of important contact and emergency numbers are posted.
10. Never give an infant to anyone not known well to hold or watch for a moment . The same tip applies to the care and supervision of young children.
11. Never leave a small child unattended in a car or vehicle. Children have been known to perish in a car fire, wander away from the vehicle and become lost and traumatized by an accidental abduction when the vehicle was stolen. Never justify to yourself that it is safe to leave your child ‘ just for a minute ‘.
12. Be cautious of persons asking to take photos of your child . If you notice someone, for example, in a park taking photos, leave the area. A person with a legitimate reason will ask permission and show you identification.
13. Promise your children that you would never abandon them.
14. Assure your child that they would be told immediately by a family member or ‘good’ friend if a parent(s) dies.
15. Assure your child that if she/he were missing, you would never stop looking for them no matter how long it took to find them

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