Over the summer months, students generally lose one to three months of learning from the previous year. Teachers find themselves spending too much time reviewing the previous year's material before moving on to new things. It is recommended that parents keep their children practicing reading and math over the summer, or at least begin reviewing these subjects a few weeks before school starts. Once school begins, it's important to get your students' brains working at top performance again as quickly as possible to speed up the re-learning process.

In this month's featured story, The Coopersville Capers, third grade students return from summer break only to wreak havoc against their classmates instead of focusing on their lessons. After several crazy pranks, the kids learn that trying to "get even" doesn't solve anything, but not before their new teacher gets stuck in the middle of the mess!

Kids can be mischievous, especially at the beginning of the school year! To get students on task as quickly as possible, try using engaging classroom activities. Reading and math skills need attention, and Reader's Theater is great way to make reading fun as the year begins. However, your students' brains may need a jump-start! "Brain teasers" are fascinating and require students to exercise their brains in ways they are not used to. Below is an example of a "lateral thinking" brain teaser:

One day, two mothers and two daughters went shopping for shoes. Their shopping spree was successful — each bought a pair of shoes, and all together, they had three pairs. How is this possible?

Answer: Only three people went shopping: a grandmother, a mother, and a daughter — but the mother is also the grandmother's daughter!

For more brain teasers that require reasoning, logic, lateral thinking, and even math, click here. The document may be printed out for classroom use, with the answers on a separate sheet.