Review of Summer Fit Workbooks

Summer Fit: Exercises for the Brain and Body While Away from School by Kelly Terril and Portia Marin (Rated: C)
Summer Fit Learning Inc
ISBN: 978-0976280002
Published April 1, 2011
Paperback, 144 pages

Making sure their children get an overall good education is important for many parents, myself included. So when those lazy summer months come along, I worry they will forget all those new math and language concepts. In the past, I stocked up on workbooks and visited the library on rainy days. But my kids are so busy with swimming meets, synchronized swimming, slumber parties, visiting with friends and family, and late nights that little time is left for educational pursuits.

Then I discovered the Summer Fit Workbooks.

I got one for my daughter (grade 4-5) and one for my son (K- grade 1). Since my children go to an all French school I wanted them to brush up on the same skills in English. I am happy to say that unlike the other workbooks, this one is still being used now that we are in mid-summer. Yahoo! The only problem is that I got the wrong grade level for my son. He is going into grade 2 in September and the K-1 workbook was way too easy for him even in English. However, I adapted some of the activities and still used the incentive contract to keep him interested in doing work. The workbooks are for American children but there is additional Canadian-specific content available on the publisher's website.

Here are what we love about the Summer Fit workbook:

It covers reading, writing and math based on national standards.
It also covers fitness, nutrition and core values, such as honesty, self-discipline and kindness. And the fitness exercises are diverse and age-appropriate.
The work is clearly divided into 10 weeks, and my kids knew exactly what pages to do every day.
At the beginning of each week, there is a page that states what topics will be covered followed by an incentive contract, which my daughter and son liked because they could keep track of their progress and work toward their weekly goals and rewards.
At the end of each week, there is a page of activities to do with family and friends and also a booklist.
Each day's work only takes about 30 minutes.
Colourful icons make it easy to identify a mind, body or value activity or skill.
Additional games, activities, booklists and book report sheets are available for downloading on the publisher's website summerfitlearning.com.
It's a fun and creative workbook!

Overall, this is a well thought-out workbook that keeps children active in mind, body and soul throughout the summer. It's a fun book, appealing, not too heavy on the workload but just the right amount so as not to become drudgery at a time when kids expect to do nothing but have fun. Highly recommended for families who want to instill a good overall education even throughout the summer, making it part of an entertaining family routine.

Disclosure: Thanks to Michelle Carpenter from MediaGuests for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011