How sticking with Kumon this summer can give your child a great start next school year.

Make Kumon a year-round advantage.

There are several ways to keep your child's mind challenged this summer, and one of the most beneficial is to simply keep your child in Kumon.

As you know, Kumon requires just 20 minutes of daily practice - barely a dent in a long summer day, but enough to help your child maintain "mental momentum" and ease into the new school year with sharp skills, ready for new challenges.

Tips for successful summer study

With thoughtful planning, Kumon can be an unobtrusive yet very rewarding part of your family's summer.

• Work with your Kumon instructor to set summer goals for your child, and consider a special reward for meeting them.

• Plan ahead to integrate Kumon study with vacation travel and other family events.

• Create continuity - resist the temptation to take a week off from Kumon right after the school term ends, or over the Independence Day Holiday, for example.

• Start each day with Kumon, so that the rest of the day is for fun and family.

Summer can be a season full of learning.

Kumon should be just one facet of an intellectually stimulating summer for your child (and you!). Take the attitude that learning can be fun and adventurous, and your child will follow your lead.

• Reading as Recreation. Help your child find books that make summer reading fun. Whether it's the book version of a first-run summer movie or a novel set in your vacation destination, the more your child reads, the better.

• Fun by the Numbers. With a little imagination, summer interests yield captivating math exercises. (What was your batting average this week? At 60 mph with no stops, how long will it take to get to the amusement park?)

• Learning That Doesn't Feel Like Learning. Museums, libraries, aquariums, nature centers, zoos, and even bookstores offer summer events and programs that are both educational and fun - as are day trips to historical, cultural, or science-related destinations (or vacation travel that includes them).

Don't let your child's mind take the summer off.

Learning is like exercise: Take three months off, and the treadmill feels a lot steeper when you finally get back on.

It's no different with math and reading. Educators recognize that children who don't practice their skills over the summer often slip backward, and spend the early weeks of the school year "getting back up to speed" and reviving dormant study habits.

Give your child a smarter summer and much more.

Ask your Kumon instructor about the benefits of year-round study, and discuss how Kumon can fit into your family's summer plans.  Then, stick with Kumon this summer, and give your child a great start next school year.