7 July 2025
Preparing for Admission Exams in the Summer: What If We Did Things Differently?
As soon as fifth grade ends, many parents are already thinking ahead to the fall and the upcoming admission exams. It is common to instinctively turn to exercise books, hoping their child can “get ahead” during July and August — but is that really the best strategy?
📚 Preparation Materials: Useful, but Timed Right Workbooks and prep kits sold in stores aren’t to be dismissed. However, their effectiveness depends on when they’re used. Private school admission tests — often multiple choice format — require mastery of specific strategies, which aren’t typically taught in elementary school. That’s why it is wiser to save these tools for the fall, when children can approach them with confidence, applying techniques they’ll learn in preparation programs like the one offered by the Centre d’aide aux études de l’Outaouais.
🎲 Summer: A Perfect Time to Learn Differently Rather than relying on traditional revision programs in French or math, summer is ideal for engaging children in playful learning activities that develop key cognitive skills such as:
- 🧠 Memory: memory games, sing-and-repeat songs, speed challenge
- 🕵️♂️ Inference: riddles, guessing games, unfinished stories
- 👀 Observation: “spot the difference,” visual scavenger hunts
- 🧩 Logic: puzzles, number patterns, escape room-style games
🚗 These games travel well! Whether in the car, at the beach, or between water slides, word games, quick quizzes and shared reading moments keep young minds active—without pressure.
👨👩👧👦 A Balanced Summer for a Confident Fall Unless your child needs remedial support, there’s no need to turn summer into “school 2.0.” The key is keeping their curiosity alive and minds engaged in a relaxed, enjoyable environment.
👉 Looking for easy, free or low-cost ways to build these skills while having fun? The Centre d’aide aux études de l’Outaouais is here to support you with ideas and approaches tailored to your child.
📞 Contact us at 819 827-0006 or by email at info@mieuxapprendre.ca — we’ve got plenty of tips to share!