NHA Expert Provides Activities to Continue Learning on Spring Break

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., April 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Spring Break is here, which means students might be tempted to turn their brains off for the week, but there are plenty of fun ways to keep your student engaged. National Heritage Academies (NHA)® English Language Arts Curriculum Manager Sarah Montpas suggested several ways students can keep learning during their time off.

Write To Friends or Family

While on vacation, Montpas suggested writing as a beneficial activity, recommending a postcard or email back to family members as an easy way to practice. One writing prompt Montpas promoted was to write about your day but from a different perspective, such as your shoes. This helps scholars read from other perspectives and increases comprehension.

"It's so impactful because it produces critical thought," Montpas said. "I always encourage writing by hand because it helps build vocabulary and sentence structure. It aids with reading because you're using the same words and structure, so when students go to read, they know how to interpret it."

Read, Read, Read

Some Spring Break trips require a lot of time in the car, and one of the most helpful ways to pass the time is to read. One way to read and connect with family is through a book club. Montpas said it could be something as simple as reading one chapter per day and discussing each night as a family. She also shared that local libraries are a great resource with student-friendly activities.

While on the road, identifying signs that start with each letter of the alphabet is a way to pass the time and improve letter recognition for young children. Montpas also suggested picking up brochures at welcome centers and reading those as a fun activity.

Sharpen Your Math Skills

To build math skills on Spring Break, students can stay engaged by keeping track of how many miles they've traveled or how much time has passed. Montpas also said going to a park and counting things, such as insects, flowers, birds, and trees, is a good way to practice math over break.

Montpas also recommended reading and creating a recipe as a family. Making food together helps students sharpen math and reading skills, while also getting in some quality time with family.

Gain New Life Experience

Taking a vacation exposes scholars to new things, whether it be delicious food or seeing new places. While these experiences build memories, they're also an opportunity to help students grow various life skills. Montpas said learning time management skills and staying flexible are two benefits for students on a trip.

"Things never go the way we want them to, so being flexible is important," Montpas said. She added that students might also need to learn how to keep themselves occupied if they're in for a long trip.

Montpas shared that Spring Break is a great time for students to sharpen some of their Moral Focus skills – nine virtues at the center of NHA's character-based curriculum. She mentioned Spring Break and its activities can help students grow their perseverance, compassion, and gratitude.

Stay Academically Active at Home

For students that stick around their home for Spring Break, Montpas offered tips to keep learning front of mind. Her first recommendation was to complete a puzzle, saying that puzzles improve spatial awareness, fine motor skills, and staying on task. Montpas also said taking photos of different flowers or insects and researching them is a fun science-based project.

Montpas said students at home would benefit from research projects, suggesting the local neighborhood as a great subject. She also said formulating a business idea and going through the steps of planning it out relates to schoolwork.

"Think about a business that your neighborhood needs," Montpas said. "There would be some kind of art and writing to advertise your business. To figure out what you need, you'd have to speak with people and build those social skills. Looking at a budget is a math skill. Depending on the business, you could hit a lot of different subjects."

About National Heritage Academies:
National Heritage Academies (NHA) is a network of 100 tuition-free, public charter schools across nine states, serving more than 68,000 students in kindergarten through 12^th grade. For more information, visit nhaschools.com. To find the nearest charter school near you, use the NHA school finder.

SOURCE National Heritage Academies