2016 Summer Kansas Child

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Engaged Minds Summertime activities help your child be prepared for school By William Hall, Superintendent, USD 305, Salina Public Schools Summer is often the time set aside for families to take a breath and relax, to regenerate from the busy on-the-go lives that typically happen during the school year. I recently had the opportunity to address more than 700 third-graders at the annual Kansas Kids Fitness Day activities for area students. As I shared with these students, summer is a time for fun and for staying active, and yet it is equally important that they keep their minds as sharp as their bodies. So, “turn off that television, and pick up a book to read over the summer.” As a matter of fact, I challenged all of the third-graders to read at least 10 books over the summer, and to email me as they complete each one to let me know what they read and what they liked or disliked about the book. The point is, there are many activities parents and child care providers can do to ensure that when August rolls around and the school bells ring, our children are ready and engaged for the start of school. There are 90 days during the summer, and most children do not have a structured learning environment. As such, many children may suffer from “summer learning loss.” Research indicates that students consistently score lower on assessments given to them at the beginning of the school year than they did on those same tests three months earlier. Because of a lack of access to quality summer learning activities, this gap in learning is further compounded when children from low- and highincome families are compared. Here are a few facts to consider. •§ Most students lose about two months of grade level equivalency in mathematical computation skills over the summer. Low-income students also lose more than two months in reading achievement, despite the fact that their middle-class peers make slight gains. (Cooper, 1996) •§ Parents consistently cite summer as the most difficult time to ensure that their children have productive things to do. (Duffet et al, 2004) •§ Children lose more than academic knowledge over the summer. Most children, particularly those at high risk of obesity, gain weight more rapidly during the summer break. (Von Hippel et al, 2007) Quality learning activities do not need to be costly and can be provided to all children. The first, and most important issue for parents to consider, regardless of the child’s age, is to continue to make learning a priority, whether on a family vacation, enjoying that backyard barbecue, or just passing time. Children need to know that engaging their minds through discovery-based learning activities, or reading that favorite book, is going to be a regular part of their summer schedule. So, shut off the television and let’s get started. Before laying out some summer learning activities for children, let’s consider their physical needs. Children of all ages should be engaged in some form of physical play each day. This can be in the form of outside activities, such as visits to the local park or short walks to the library or local museum. Even playing catch on a regular basis can go a long way to assist with a child’s fine motor development. It is also important that children maintain solid nutritional guidelines and eat healthy, balanced meals on a regular basis. Many communities offer free summer meal programs where students can eat hot, nutritional lunches. I encourage you to look into whether your community offers this option and to have your child participate. 4 Kansas Child A Publication of Child Care Aware ® of Kansas
WILLIAM HALL Superintendent USD 305 Salina Public Schools William Hall was born and raised in Dodge City, Kan., and graduated from St. Mary of the Plains College in 1982 with a B.S. in history. He earned his M.S in Educational Administration in 1989 from Fort Hays State University, and received his district school administration endorsement as well as his ESOL endorsement from Kansas State University. He’s held school administrative positions at Sacred Heart High School, Salina, and at Atwood and Ulysses high schools. He served as superintendent of the Ulysses school district for 11 years. Mr. Hall and wife, Angela, have two adult children, Ryan and Tiffany, and two grandchildren, Ian and Isabelle. Mr. Hall started as the superintendent of Salina Public Schools on July 1, 2011. playing and learning a day with your child can make a world of difference. It is also important that children get the necessary hours of sleep, making the transition to school much easier after the extended summer break. I have had numerous conversations with parents who shared with me the difficulty of transitioning their children back to school due to not following a regular bedtime schedule during the summer. Keep in mind, the more children are kept to a routine, the easier it will be to transition back to school in August. Besides physical activity, good nutrition and rest, it is essential that children be allowed to “exercise” their minds during the summer months. There are a number of activities that parents can do with children that don’t require a lot of time or expense, but will help your child maintain his/ her academic skills. Just 15-20 minutes of Social/Emotional Development Social/emotional development is the ability for children of all ages to express their ideas and feelings, express empathy toward others, feel self-confident, and more easily manage their feelings of frustration and disappointment. Essentially, it is your child’s ability to express emotions in an appropriate and healthy manner. Positive social/emotional skills allow children to be successful when interacting in school with their peers and teachers. Some good examples that will assist your child in developing social/emotional skills over the summer include: •§ Have your child play board games and practice taking turns. •§ Set up several play dates with children of various ages. •§ Tell your child you expect him/her to clean up after play. •§ When your child is playing with other children, remind him/her of the importance of playing nicely and sharing items such as toys. Social/emotional skills do not need to be planned lessons taught by parents. More than likely they are gentle reminders of appropriate behavior as your child enjoys summertime activities with other children and adults. Language Development The one area where the greatest amount of summer learning loss is experienced is language development, especially with reading skills. Dr. Trish Bandré, reading specialist for Salina USD 305, Salina, Kan., shares this concern: “Students’ hard work to grow as readers, and teachers’ hard work to get students to a higher level of success is diminished by a lack of summer reading. Unfortunately, access to books, especially those at the reading level of the child, is an issue for many low-income children.” If students get most of their reading material from school and Continued on page 6 www.ks.childcareaware.org Kansas Child 5
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2016 Summer Kansas Child

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