Build learning into kids’ summertime fun!

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Jacqueline and Son. Savings Selfie Winners 2015.

2015 Savings Selfie Winner: Jacqueline.

Unstructured summer play is great, but that doesn’t mean it can’t include learning!

We asked ABC Life Literacy to share some tips on how parents can incorporate literacy into kids’ daily activities. We were so excited by their ideas that we added a few of our own fun-ancial literacy suggestions too!

ABC Life Literacy Canada encourages parents to keep kids’ literacy skills sharp all summer. Research shows that children who read during summer retain their literacy skills and get a head start on September learning.

Try these fun activities:

  • Follow a recipe together to practice reading, math and comprehension all at once!
  • Traveling by car, bus or streetcar? Read signs, billboards and license plates together. Show your children how to find your destination using maps.
  • Send postcards from places you visit. If you’re vacationing locally, send one to yourself!
  • Build a summer book of memories. Tape in pictures and paper souvenirs and ask family members to write comments and captions.

SmartSAVER encourages parents to start conversations with their kids about what they want to be when they grow up, and to start education savings early. Research shows that children as young as 11 think about whether higher education will be financially possible for them, and that perception can influence their education goals and the effort they put into their school work today.

Encourage parents to consider these activities:

  • Take 10 minutes with their kids to complete the online RESP application at SmartSAVER.org with their choice of participating financial institutions. With an RESP account, children can start to receive government contributions for their future education, like the Canada Learning Bond that contributes up to $2,000 into each eligible child’s account.
  • Try SmartSAVER’s online calculator to check how much their child could get and show them how their savings can grow with the Canada Education Savings matching grant.
  • Visit the bank with their child so they can check on or even add money to their RESP.

Find more ABC Life Literacy activities at FamilyLiteracyDay.ca, and more RESP information at SmartSAVER.org.

 

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