Mumsnet users share tips for keeping children focused during the summer school term with Premier League Primary Stars

[EllieMumsnet]

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The summer school term can feel like a bit of a struggle for both parents and DC; it’s coming to the end of the year, the sunshine is out and a well-deserved break is on the horizon. With that in mind, the Premier League would love you to share your tips and experiences of keeping your DC engaged with learning during the summer term.

Here’s what the Premier League has to say: “We understand that children sometimes need some additional encouragement when it comes to learning, both in the classroom and at home. Our Premier League Primary Stars programme uses the appeal of football to inspire children to learn, be active and develop important life skills. More than 15,000 schools are already using the football-themed teaching resources for maths, English, PE and PSHE lessons but we know that learning doesn’t stop at the school gates. So, to give parents a helping hand we have created activities and an interactive online game designed to extend learning to the home too.”

Watch their video here:

If the weather is nice do you try and get them to complete any homework outside? Perhaps you try giving your DC regular pep talks to keep them motivated? Maybe you have a reward system in place to ensure they stay on track?

However you keep your DC motivated during the summer term, comment on the thread below to be entered into a prize draw, where one MNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ

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family trips out related to homework and dinner rewards!

I have always tried to encourage a mixture of 'learning'
So we may do fun baking and cooking on some days, then some interesting book based learning and definitely some nature walks or museums.
After all learning should be made into a chore it should be encouraged to be seen as an enhancing experience.

we do homework together in the kitchen that way i know its done

we tend to hang with lots of other kids and they sometimes keep themselves entertained because of the amount of them

Activities, games outside are always a winner and you could even slip in a bit of education too without them realising :)

Summer holidays are for fun learning! They generally only get a little homework which can be done at the beginning of hols. After that it might be going on trips to national heritage sites or the zoo etc. Non academic learning. C

Luckily mine love reading so in summer we take the books into the garden. The royal wedding has piqued interest so in the holidays we intend to go to Windsor and learn about the kings and queens, she loves history so it's quite easy to keep her learning

I always insist that all projects are carried out at the beginning of holidays

We work with the seasons and do lots of fun outdoor educational activities in the Summer. Life is short so enjoy it!

We love seasons outside. Books to read games to play. Let's have fun inside or outside

Definately making home work more fun and not as a chore and something that can be done together

My reluctant reader is much more likely to read more than I want him to, if we cuddle in bed and he reads me a bedtime story.

Homework outside (if the weather is nice) on a Saturday with the understanding that when it is done, we can do fun things like go to the park or go bike riding.

Show an interest in what they are doing and the parts that they have been finding interesting. I find we are all tired and waiting for half term to come around, so an understanding that their enthusiasm might be waning helps.

homework then play

We ask them to do 2 hours of revision each morning for 5 mornings, and then the rest of the day/week is there's. On top of this I'll ask them to read c1 novel a week and talk about it.

On top of revision, last summer we also enrolled them on a touch typing course and got them to do 30 minutes of practice each day until they hit 60wpm. They both moaned and said it was impossible, but both did it within 4 weeks. The whoops of delight were fantastic to hear when they did it. This academic year, typing up school work has been so much quicker.

Giving them praise & any treats after they've done the important bits

My children are quite young, and I don't notice a great deal of difference in the holiday. Some of my friends tell me that their kids earn i-pad time by doing their home work. Is that a good idea?

Make sure they're getting to bed early for plenty of sleep. They can end up tossing and turning a lot with the heat. When they get in from school they do their homework before having tea (this can be out in the garden if the weather is nice enough), otherwise we talk about which summer plans are going to be cancelled.

Respect them and remember (especially if they are young) that they will be getting tired. Allow extra naps at the weekend and remember that a child can't actually be punished for not doing homework until they are in secondary school - so by all means encourage them to do it, but give them some leeway if they are struggling.

I set aside a few hours a week to read and revise what they’ve already learned therefore they don’t forget before going back to school

The right amount of exercise each day.

do a holiday diary, keeps their English skills up and you can incorporate other skills like maths and science too.

Congratulations to Theimpossiblegirl for winning the £300 voucher

I find that rewards only go so far - the trick is making the connection between the activity and the end goal. Which is tough with little ones, but they get it in the end (if you're lucky!!). So motivation and inspiration.