Saturday, April 9, 2011

Review of An Educational Book

Have you ever received a book and didn’t have a clue where it came from?

I must confess I’m having one of those moments, be it blonde, senior or a blonde/senior moment. I occasionally receive books from various publishers without any prior correspondence. They have a record of what genres I read and sometimes send new releases they think I might like and will review. Each book always includes some basic information with it.

However, this past week I received a delightful educational book from an unknown publisher and without any basic information included with it. I can’t for the life of me remember if I requested the book, won the book or just agreed to review the book. I’ve checked my emails to see if I could find a mention of the book and found nothing. In the back of my mind, I’ve seen the book cover before but just can’t remember. Who ever sent me the book, please forgive this lapse in memory.

I would like to share my review of the book as I think it could be quite helpful to those of you with young children or grandchildren, or if you teach.

SUMMER FIT, EXERCISES FOR THE BRAIN AND BODY WHILE AWAY FROM SCHOOL

This workbook is designed for children going from first to second grade. It covers reading, writing, math, fitness, nutrition and values. It’s presented in a way that youngsters will enjoy participating in the activities. It designed to be a game or a challenge more so than summer homework.

Each week there is an incentive contract between the youngster and parent. The youngster completes mind, body and value exercises each day and at the end of the week receives the agreed upon incentive, as well as a certificate.

The workbook describes aerobic exercises such as freeze tag and dancing shoes, as well as strength exercises like jumping jacks and jump rope. Each week there is also a value lesson such as honesty, compassion and kindness.

The workbook gives details on how physical fitness improves the brain. It also talks about the importance of reading. In discussing the digital world of today, the workbook contains a line that I agree with wholeheartedly. It reads: “Reading a book helps develop attention spans and allows children to build their imagination without the aid of animated graphics, special effects, and sound that may hinder a child’s ability to create these for themselves.”

Though I don’t have children or grandchildren, I can see that this book would be a great asset for youngsters to use during the summer. It would not only continue their learning process, but guide them to expand their imaginations.

For more information on SUMMER FIT, check out their website at www.summerfitlearning.com

Summer Fit, Exercises for the Brain and Body While Away From School, 2011, Hess Print Solutions, 126 pages, paperback


FTC Full Disclosure - I’m not sure who the book came from. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.

What are your thoughts on youngsters learning during summer break? Do you encourage your children (or grandchildren) to participate in summer reading programs or just have reading time with them yourself?

5 comments:

  1. Mason - Oh, I've done things like that. I am glad you liked the book, though, and it does seem like a very useful book for teachers, parents and grandparents. Thanks for sharing it.

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  2. ah, I've never received any free book in my life and you're complaining you're getting to much of them and don't know where they come??? :))))))
    It's great for kids to have some educational activities during summer as well.

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  3. It seems important to always be learning, no matter our age. I like the idea of children learning differently in the summer, through games and exploration and imagination, rather than a classroom environment. Seems like a great book for parents ...

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  4. Sounds like a wonderful book! My son is a bit old for it but maybe they make it for high school kids as well.

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  5. Sounds like a fun workbook. The cover is so cool!

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