On sabbatical leave

I am away for my annual sabbatical leave. My commentaries on issues of the day will resume on the 23rd of April, 2012.

What to do?

Less than two months to go before the “summer break” is over. While this phrase may seem more appropriate for students, it is also a period in the year that adults, especially those who have children, refer to as the period between academic years when most schools go on a break too.

During the first couple of weeks after classes end, children are normally allowed to stay in bed for a little longer – to catch up on all the sleep they missed during the 10 months when they had to wake up early to be in school by 7 a.m.

By now, they have gotten back their energy and will be driving their parents insane in trying to track down their whereabouts or their activities during the day. Unless of course you had something planned for them. If none yet, here are a few activities to consider:

Mind tools

Even if students of the future will be typing their notes on laptops or tablets, going through a crash course on stenography or shorthand writing is still going to be useful for the next few years.

Good typing skills, on the other hand, are a must. This class when paired with learning shorthand writing, will keep the kids busy for a good month as they try to master the key strokes in speed writing and the right finger use in tapping the keyboard, whether this is on a desktop, laptop, netbook, tablet or even a smartphone. Perhaps even the old electric or manual typewriter.

Speed reading is another gem that will surely help the secondary or tertiary student get ahead in his future classes. Pushing your kids to be good readers means helping them read more materials at a shorter time without compromising on the quality of comprehension.

In this day and age when larger chunks of information is being pushed down the throats of our youngsters from more channels, reading at faster speeds will help them cover more ground and stay ahead. Speed reading also teaches prioritization and focus, two attributes that surely can be improved among our young.

We can take this learning proficiency discussion to the field of math, an area that many kids have no love for. Yet math is a subject that simply requires a basic understanding of learning principles, that advancing to higher levels should be based on full comprehension of lower levels.

There are now some schools that help children “catch” up on their math learning while giving them the tools to keep abreast with future school work. Math, as most of us are aware of, is step learning; if you miss a class, you can’t advance to the next.

There are other classes that can help improve your child’s learning ability or even personality. You just have to decide what area or areas that need help or further improvement: leadership, time management, communicating, or even strategic thinking.

Motor skills

Aside from mind tools, we should take the summer break as an opportunity to enhance our children’s motor skills. If they have the basic swimming skills, why not go for any of the many other sports classes that are made available.

Or go to higher grades, i.e., from beginners to advance class. Physical sports not only burns out the excess energy of the youth, which incidentally helps keep them away from mischief, it also builds up their self-confidence and could possibly lead to developing new friends.

These activities are also a good way to interact with our children. For example, a visit to the pool every so often to observe them doing the practice laps and later to share an ice cream or a snack after class is an easy opportunity to strengthen parent-child relationships.

There are also adventure sports that require the family to take several days away from home but are learning as well as life experiences for the young ones that they can relish as they grow older. If you’re organizing a beach outing, make sure that there is a program, however simple, that will allow maximum interaction among family members.

It’s great to share lunch on the beach, but competitive games will be more appreciated. And these need not be water or outdoor sports. Board games when the sun is hottest or in the evening when it’s too dark to stay out go a long way in the bonding category.

Creativity map

Another area of activity that children can indulge in this summer would be classes that enhance their creativity. First off would be art, and this could come in the form of painting or drawing classes.

But encouraging creativity in the young can be more “creative.” Consider sending them to cooking classes or a short course on fancy jewelry making. There are automotive courses also that teach the basics of how engines work.

A summer workshop in theater acting, singing, songwriting, or a musical instrument such as a guitar could be opportunities for your child to learn more about himself. He may not want to follow up on the summer course, but he’ll have learned more about himself.

The important thing to remember in doing any of the above-mentioned activities is to make learning an activity that they will give them lessons in life, helping them acquire a more rounded view of other people and their surroundings.

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Should you wish to share any insights, write me at Link Edge, 25th Floor, 139 Corporate Center, Valero Street, Salcedo Village, 1227 Makati City. Or e-mail me at [email protected]. For a compilation of previous articles, visit www.BizlinksPhilippines.net.