What are some good academic lessons I can teach to a child going into the 5th grade?

Make it as fun and interesting as you can and don’t over do it! Kids who struggle will get frustrated even more if it becomes a chore. Reading with her is the biggest thing you can do to help her develop an ability to stay on task. Take her to the library and if she doesn’t have one, get her her own library card and give her the responsibility to check out her books. Also ask the Librarian to recommend grade/age appropriate reading books for her. They probably know her schools reading list too!

Also surf the internet as there are TONS of fun websites devoted to helping kids learn. You may want to take a “step or two” back in the learning grade level and start with lessons that are easier for her and praise and reward her success. She may soon enjoy that sensation of going good and catch up quicker.

Take her to kids museums as there are always engaging exhibits that kids really can learn things at.

Teach her the advantage of delayed gratification. (The one jelly bean now vs two jelly beans later.
Teach her there are consequences to her actions.
Teach her to be productive and help people.
Teach her that it is not all about her.

Life lessons everyone should know.

@Cruiser Those are some really good ideas! She’s definitely an independent one so I believe she’d love the idea of checking out her own books.

@KatetheGreat Also find out what she IS good at in school and keep that subject as a back up for when she gets frustrated so instead of just stopping the learning process, you can switch gears to her favorite subject and keep going and come back to the more challenging subject a little later. Have fun!!

I was thinking of saying teach her to help others but someone else already said it.

Good luck with your summer “job”.

There are cards and books that you can buy in any bookstore that will state the grade level and you can have them practice and reward them for their hard work.
But the best thing is get them reading books. Any books they want to read. Comics, or even a kid series books that may be popular. Reading is an important foundation to learning.
Pick short stories to start with and treat your cousin to some icecream and a movie everytime they finish a couple of stories.

Many board games and card games help with math. My kids loved comic books like Tin Tin at that age.

BTW my daughter didn’t hit her reading stride until she was 11. She was a late starter but now she’s reading adult novels (she 13).

The most important thing is not make her feel deficient in anyway. If you see that the activity is frustrating for her abandon it for something she likes doing.

I agree that reading is the best thing you could do with her. You could get two books from the library alike (I recommend the Judy Blume books if she hasn’t already read them.) Decide which characters you will each read and you read the non dialogue. Do it with a little drama (but not overpowering.) Get her to use inflection as she reads, until it is fun. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing is a good place to start. If she already has a book she wants to read, like the Harry Potter books, use those, but be prepared to help a lot.