 March means (hopefully) warmer weather, the promise of spring, and of course – the event that students and many parents look forward to─ spring break. While I think students definitely need some “down time” during breaks from school, these short respites also present incredible opportunities for students to learn outside of the classroom. They can learn while having fun with parents and friends, and the best part is it often takes place without their even realizing it. If you are staying close to home, stop by the Visitor’s Center downtown for a list of area attractions. There are dozens of opportunities in our area to turn a family outing into a learning experience. Fort Toulouse, the Montgomery Zoo, the Montgomery Museum, Old Alabama Town, the public library, the Rosa Parks Museum, the Alabama Capitol, and other historic sites all have interesting and fun exhibits. Montgomery is also dotted with those green historic markers. You can find the content of all the markers in Montgomery by going to http://www.archives.state.al.us/aha/markers/montgomery.html. Most of the locations of the markers are not listed, so you can have a driving scavenger hunt to see how many you can find and see the sites where our history was made.
If you are going out of town, in addition to the sun and sand or the mountains and snow, look for ways to help your children learn. The physics of skiing, the pull of the moon on tides, the effect of wind on waves, local wildlife, or planning a budget for your trip, are perfect examples of how you can help students discover and apply information they have learned in school.
Even planning and putting together a simple picnic can be a learning experience. Buying the food at the store, following recipes, food safety, and planning for an event are all important life lessons, and spring break is the perfect time to teach them.
Unfortunately, one thing we see is that some students view spring break as the “cut off” for learning for the year. Occasionally students check it off as the last milestone before summer vacation. It is critical that parents stay involved in the education of their children all year long, but especially in the spring. It is important students have structure in their study habits from the first day of class through the last. The spring semester will make a difference in their GPA and that could eventually impact college admissions or scholarship awards.
Read to your children and have them read to you. Watch the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Public Broadcasting and other programs with educational content, even on vacation.
Parents are a child’s first and most important teachers. You may not be able to explain advanced algebraic concepts, or the Theory of Relativity, but in most cases, our parents are where we get our love of learning and a sense of curiosity. It is never the wrong time to help children learn - even during spring break.
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