School will be out for the summer in just a couple of weeks. Time flies when you are having fun. But are you prepared? Making the summer fun and productive should be one of the goals every parent has for the summer. To achieve this goal, you need a plan.

Think about how your child has been doing this past school year. Has she done really as well as you would have liked? Is her math high but her English or language arts score is pretty borderline? How well is she reading and could she be doing better? Does she want to do track again next year and also is considering cross country and needs to keep her running skills up?

From this kind of information, you learn where she needs to put some of her efforts in this summer. She really can learn to spell some words, write about a trip or learn to type on the keyboard.

Once you figure out where you should put your efforts, check with her teachers and find out what you might do to help. Even though the school year is about done, her teachers really would like to see her do even better next year. Her coach would like her to work on setting a new school record so he would love to see her improve. Ask if any of these people have some suggestions for what she could do during the summer. But all of this needs to be done now.

Think of other ways to make the summer productive. Certainly there are multiple camps around. These are great for young children. There are even some programs throughout the county that count toward high school graduation that are offered free of charge. Check into the nature programs that are around like Olympic Nature Experience and see what they are offering.

Make sure reading is considered an important part of the summer. Help her set a goal about how many books she will read during this time. Read some of the books that she will be reading just so you can talk with her about it.

Keep her active. She needs this time. A study done by Dr. Pooja Tandon at the University of Washington found that many preschoolers were not getting the amount of play time that is recommended by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education. This adds to weight problems and affects cardiovascular health and even learning and brain function. Think of ways to have your youngster, no matter what her age, spend some time outside daily, rain or shine.

Never let the summer turn into a screen-only summer. Sure she may watch some television and be on her computer or phone sometimes but don’t let it be dominate in her summer life.

Summer is a special time. You need to add to that specialness in many ways. Talk more with your child than you do during the limited time after school is out. Take her more places, see more things, and learn while you are doing it. If you haven’t been out to the Makah Cultural and Research Center in Neah Bay, that is an incredibly worthwhile experience. When was the last time you went for a walk together? Read together every night.

When the summer is over, hopefully you can look back on what you and she accomplished. This shouldn’t be a chore; make it fun. Learning occurs all around you. You just need to be open to it and excited about it when it happens. Have a great and productive summer.

Cynthia Martin is the founder of the First Teacher program and director of Parenting Matters Foundation, which publishes newsletters for parents, caregivers and grandparents. Reach Martin at pmf@olypen.com or at 681-2250.