Summer Reading and Learning

Narrator: On the outskirts of the nation’s capital, summer vacation is in full swing.
And while it might look like it’s all fun and games, the summer plays a vital role in children’s learning.
Which makes parents like Wendy Bostic determined to make the most of it.
She’s discovering that there’s a lot she can do to keep four-year-old C.J. and six-year-old Ashley learning while school is out.

Wendy Bostic: So if they’re inside of the cocoon, or the chrysalis, then what happens?

Narrator: This weekend, the discussion and activities focus on butterflies and plants as they prepare for a trip to a local garden.

Wendy: Children are sponges. So they’re constantly learning and constantly wanting to learn ‘cause they wanna know well why, well who, well how, well when.

Narrator: But raising a reader can be a daunting task, even for a parent like Wendy, who knows the importance of summer learning. When she first thought about filling her kids’ days with education and enrichment, she was overwhelmed.

Wendy: I cried for about a week or two weeks straight because I was like, “Well, what am I going to do with them all day?” Ashley has been stimulated being in school. What am I going to do to keep her learning? I can only sing the ABC song.

Narrator: She knows that helping her kids maintain the skills and knowledge they learned in school will have a big impact when they return to class in September.

Ron Fairchild: Much like we would expect an athlete or a musician’s performance to suffer if they didn’t practice regularly, the same thing is true for young people when it comes to reading performance.

Narrator: Letting kids’ brains languish during the summer can mean more than just playing catch-up when they get back to the classroom; it can have serious, long-term consequences for a child.

Earl Martin Phalen has been dedicated to children’s summer education for over twenty years.

Earl Martin Phalen: Reading during the summer time and early school success is so so important. It’s predictable that if you’re not able to read and write proficiently by the end of third grade, the likelihood of dropping out, the likelihood of engaging in negative behaviors is 68% higher… so the summer is a critically important opportunity.

Narrator: And a formal program isn’t the only way to keep kids’ brains in gear.

Parents are a child’s first teachers, and there is a lot they can do every day to help their children build and maintain literacy skills.

Wendy: This is smooth and this is rough, so what do you think this is?

Narrator: Conversations, field trips, and reading together are all important — and fun — steps.

Phalen: All the research says children lose anywhere from one to three months reading, writing, and math skills during the summertime. So keeping children engaged, keeping them reading, keeping their minds stimulated during the summer months is so important to helping the short and long terms success both in school and in life.

Narrator: Wendy tackled the challenge by reading books, finding information online, and getting support from other moms.

Erica: Welcome to Mocha Moms! I guess we’ll get started.

Narrator: Mocha Moms is a national organization for mothers and Wendy’s chapter meets regularly at the library.

While the children play, the group comes together to discuss their kids and share their experiences. Today’s topic — summer learning, of course!

Kendra: We did a lot of her re-writing my grocery lists. We did a lot of signs as we’re driving down the street, like what does the stop sign say?

Wendy: I make my kids find the number of the exit when I’m going places.

Sheila: There are word families like ‘at.’ There’s at and you teach them that sound. Then you add an ‘s.’ Sat. Bat. Rat. I would make it where he had to run and get the letter that made the ‘sss’ sound.

Carol: When it looks like the party’s over, they don’t want to do that anymore… stop and do something else. I think as long as you approach it that way, it won’t, you know, make them resistant.

Narrator: Another great resource for Wendy is the local public library — a place her kids can’t get enough of.

Fairchild: The single most important activity for kids to do during the summer months to prevent losses from happening is reading. Build into your family life the opportunity for reading. Regular trips the library.

Wendy: Awesome! This looks like it’s going to be a good book.

Dr. Jennifer Turner: Libraries are such a wonderful resource for parents… and for communities as a whole. Librarians can play such an important role in helping children… to select books and to actually become successful readers.

Librarian: Can I help you?

Wendy: Yes, ma’am. I have a four-year-old and a six-year-old who’d like to see if you had any suggestions of good books for them to read this summer.

Narrator: While access to books is important, finding the ones that match a child’s reading level and interests, like butterflies for Ashley is key to creating a successful reader.

Wendy: They have a sense of independence because they’re picking out their own books, their own world.

Narrator: The bottom line — if they aren’t interested in the topic, why would they read about it? And if the book is too hard, they’ll struggle with the words, which means frustration instead of comprehension.

Now, with a stack of books and their library agenda complete…

…the Bostics take learning on the road.

Wendy: We are getting ready to go on a field trip!

Ashley: We’re going to a garden.

Wendy: And in the garden there’s gonna be… pigs?

Ashley: Flowers, butterflies…

Fairchild: It’s essential for parents to have active conversations with their kids, to turn off the radio in the car, to actually be an active listener and to ask a lot of questions.

Wendy: What’s next? What’s next? 3, 2, …

Kids: 1!

Narrator: Fun games and engaging conversations will help kids learn new vocabulary, build their listening and speaking skills, and encourage them to think and ask questions about their world.

Turner: Having conversations with your child helps them to think about what other people are saying and to listen, but it also helps them to express themselves and to develop new skills. And it gives a sense of what’s going on in their head and what’s important to them, what matters to them.

Wendy: Let’s see what’s up here, guys!

Narrator: Wendy has brought Ashley and C.J. to Brookside Gardens, a local community park that’s free to the public.

Here, they can learn more about the butterflies and plants they’ve been reading about.

Fairchild: Exposure to high quality enrichment opportunities are absolutely essential to build the background knowledge that kids need to be successful readers.

Volunteer: It’s called the Tiger Swallowtail because of its stripes.

Narrator: And since Wendy knows there is always more to learn, the whole family listens closely to a butterfly expert.

Volunteer: The cool thing about caterpillars is that once they decided, “Hey. I’ve eaten enough food. I am ready. I am strong. I’m going to change in to a butterfly.”

Narrator: Every field trip means more opportunities for conversations and questions.

Wendy: Get out of town and call somebody! What are they eating.

CJ: They’re eating fruit.

Wendy: They’re eating fruit.

Wendy: Summer’s really supposed to be somewhat of a break from the everyday going to school, sitting in the classroom, having to do, you know, your spelling and your writing. So you have to find new ways to keep them engaged. There’s learning everywhere. And just remember that they’ve never seen the world before. They’ve never encountered anything. Show them what you know. You’ll find out you’ll learn some other stuff, too.

Wendy: Let’s see… He might be black and yellow…

Narrator: Funding for “Adventures in Summer Learning” is provided by the United States Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs.