Plan Your 1st Grader’s Summer of Success!

It’s time to plan your 1st grader’s summer of success. For 25 years, MEK Review has served the educational needs of New Jersey students with our proven test prep programs for middle schoolers and high schoolers, rigorous curriculum, and engaging classes for students in grades 4 through 12. We have a team of expert counselors and dedicated instructors who work tirelessly to bring the most up-to-date resources to our students. Not only that, we provide the support that students need while they are on the path to reaching their academic and admissions goals.

Currently, MEK does not have classes for students in grades 1 or 2.

However, first and second grade are the perfect time to set your child up for a bright and successful future. Here are the top three things you can do with your child to get them ready to be an MEK kid!

1. Cultivate a love of learning.

When we think of what it means to learn, we often imagine a teacher at a chalkboard teaching a lesson. Or we think of students sitting at desks taking an exam. But learning goes far beyond the walls of a classroom. For children, learning is all about exploring and understanding the world around them.

In order to help your child cultivate a love of learning, you need to tap into their creativity and curiosity. If you notice that they have a particular interest or ask a lot of questions about a specific topic, introduce them to videos and books that explore that topic in depth. Or find opportunities for them through museums, nature walks, crafts, or other immersive experiences to learn more about the topic of interest. When students have autonomy over the subjects about which they are learning, then learning becomes easy and fun!

2. Read every day with your child.

Reading is the key to success. Understanding word problems, science experiments, or novels all take strong reading comprehension skills. In order to build a strong foundation for reading comprehension, children should be reading every day. Not only that, but as you read with your first or second grader, it’s important to take breaks to check for understanding.

To maximize your child’s reading time, pause every so often and ask questions about what’s going in the story. You can ask questions about setting, character motivations, or even important plot points. Pausing to check for understanding builds student’s listening skills, which is a very important classroom skill, while also helping them create the building blocks that will become literary analysis later on.

Also, students who read a lot are strong writers because they understand grammar and structure. And they apply the skills they learned from reading to their own writing.

The best way to get your child excited about reading is to find books about topics they enjoy. Not only will they enjoy reading, but you’ll also help them cultivate a love of learning!

3. Infuse every day with math.

Your child doesn’t have to be in a classroom with flash cards and a workbook to learn math. The opportunity to practice math skills, even for children in first or second grade, is everywhere. 

Counting, number recognition, and comparisons are all essential math skills that students need to have. You can practice these skills with your child by playing games like “I spy the number…” when you’re out at the store, counting the amount of like objects in a room, or comparing the weight of two books to see which is heavier. 

There are so many ways to infuse math into the every day. It just takes a bit of creativity. But when you turn learning into a game, the possibilities are endless!

Next Steps

MEK has the programs and courses to help your child achieve their dreams. Want to know more about how MEK can give your child the tools to succeed?

Contact us today to learn more about how MEK can help your middle schooler reach their academic and admissions goals. We look forward to hearing from you!