Learning from Home
Reading
Try your local library not only for great books, magazines, free events, and videos, but join a library reading program to earn prizes as you read. Look at Get Hooked on Reading. Really dig into to books and discuss them. Some favorite books are nonfiction, like books on sports, crafts, cars, animals, magic, biographies, and history. Maybe you can rent a related DVD or video. Try different genres. Hunt for a new word each day. Read, read, read! Try Links for games and activities.
Writing 
Write to each other...no, I didn't say IM each other. Use standard spelling and real sentences! Make a comic book with speech bubbles. Make a flow map first to make sure it will make sense; the illustrations will show a lot of your details so you don't have to write the visual clues. Show it to me when you get back. =) Make a power point presentation about your friends, pets, or vacation (find this in Microsoft Office). Make a scrapbook with captions and comment sections; make booklets, or write on/or create your own postcards about things you're doing over vacation. Write a letter to a friend or relative. Write poetry and look at a poetry link for fun. Create a song or ad. With a friend, create a really long list of of homophones like blue and blew. (Ask people for words to add to the list.) Get a book of crossword puzzles for kids. (It doesn't need to be hard for practice.)
Math
Keep up your instant recall of all of the basic facts (addition, subtraction, multiplication, even some division). Incoming third graders want to aim for at least 30 basic addition and subtraction facts in 3 minutes. Speed tends to sag over the summer. Go to any of the math links. Play store or restaurant, make price tags or menus and use play money. Cook using a real recipe. (Get adult supervision for this.) Do some origami. Pay for something yourself. Give the correct change. Measure things around the house using metric or standard units. Tell time to the minute. Race Hot Wheels cars to the nearest tenth, or see which goes farthest using a tape measure. Use geometric shapes to create 2-D or 3-D things.

Note for parents: Look at the activities for parents and children to do together on the Links page.
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