| Lets face it!!! Our children are judged based on | | | | Arizona/ New Mexico really solidifies a lesson on |
| their grade point average and their performance | | | | Native American History. |
| on standardized test such as ACT/ SAT. Our | | | | I know you are thinking I dont have the money |
| childrens high school and college admissions are | | | | for vacation as travel is too expensive. Under |
| based on those credentials. As parents, we invest | | | | normal circumstances and full prices, travel can be |
| money in sophisticated desktop/ laptop | | | | extremely expensive. However, prices drop |
| computers to give them access to the worldwide | | | | substantially September 7 through November 20 |
| web. We establish home offices, libraries and | | | | as this time period is considered the travel slow |
| structured areas to encourage daily homework | | | | season. Other lesser known slow seasons are |
| and studying. We believe constant studying and | | | | December 1 through December 20, January 3 |
| attention to homework will groom our children to | | | | through February 1 and 2 weeks after Passover |
| brilliant status and give them impeccable | | | | Easter through May 20. |
| credentials. To a certain extent, we are correct. | | | | Combine slow season discounts with internet |
| Homework and study skills lay the basic | | | | discounts, a family can experience the world at |
| foundation for school success as high grade point | | | | the fraction of cost of your holiday (Christmas, |
| averages flow from high test scores. | | | | Hanukah, and Ramadan) gift fund. I spent $1500 |
| Memory skills and repetition is the key to high | | | | dollars for a 3 day vacation in Nassau, Bahamas. |
| grade point averages; however, they are not the | | | | That cost included air travel to Miami for 3 people |
| key to brilliance on standardized test. Standardized | | | | and a cruise to Bahamas. Since food was include, |
| test, such as California Achievement Test (CAT), | | | | the trip was relatively inexpensive, states Ida |
| Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), American College | | | | Byrd-Hill, a parent of 7th grade twins, Kevin and |
| Test (ACT), assumes students are exposed to | | | | Karen Hill who attend Duke Ellington Conservatory |
| different cultures, climates, countries and | | | | of Music and Art (a Detroit Public School). My |
| experiences at least 10 times before reaching | | | | children learned about world colonization, but |
| 10th grade. Students who perform the best on | | | | better yet they learned about opportunities as |
| standardized test have exposure to diverse | | | | they met the Bahamian Governess, a woman of |
| experiences. What better way to gain this | | | | African descent. I am glad I was able to find that |
| exposure than a vacation to another city, state, | | | | trip on the web. as Karen scored 96 percentile on |
| country or continent!!!!! | | | | the Social Studies portion of the California |
| Wealthy families have always known that trips, | | | | Achievement Test and Kevin scored 87 percentile |
| getaways and vacations are the secret to | | | | on the Science portion of the California |
| grooming brilliant students. Family vacations are an | | | | Achievement Test " states Byrd-Hill. |
| opportunity for students to apply all their | | | | Great deals can be found on the internet by |
| classroom knowledge quickly. The average | | | | booking at least 14 days or even 21 days in |
| vacation is three to seven days. Some wealthy | | | | advance. There are also websites that specialize in |
| families are known to vacation up to 45 days on | | | | last minute travel. Often these trips (air/ hotel |
| multiple continents. Nevertheless, most families are | | | | combos) are for a weekend departing the same |
| on a limited timeframe requiring them to make | | | | week you book the vacation or the next |
| quick decisions regarding currency exchange, | | | | weekend. Since there are so many travel |
| climate differences, navigation of city, etc. | | | | websites on the internet it pays to spend some |
| These decisions while extremely practical require | | | | time price comparing. There are websites, that |
| the use of mathematics, science, geography, | | | | allow individuals to surf many of the top websites |
| social studies and reading. Unconsciously, students | | | | and not so well known sites to compare vacation |
| are immersed into lessons fueled by sheer | | | | pricing. |
| excitement and curiosity. | | | | If you want to groom your children into brilliant |
| Imagine how productive the lesson would become | | | | students, improve their grades and performance |
| if a family vacation evolves around a classroom | | | | on standardized test, implement the secret |
| lesson. Children learn lessons at a faster pace. For | | | | wealthy families have known for generations |
| example, a train trip to an Indian Reservation in | | | | Take a Family Vacation. |