School is out, but that doesn’t mean learning should take a break for the summer – especially when studies show learning that takes place outside school has great influence on future academic achievement. The National Center for Family Literacy has created fun lessons to boost learning this summer.
The National Center for Family Literacy has created fun lessons that use the dramatic arts to boost learning during the summer break. Dancing, writing poetry, producing a talent show, creating plays – all of these activities can build vocabulary, reading, writing and spelling skills.
“Parents are a child’s first and most important teacher,†said Sharon Darling, president & CEO of the National Center for Family Literacy. “At no time is that role more crucial than during the summer. There are easy and fun ways to spend time as a family and increase learning.â€
Originally piloted at Salvation Army Corps and Boys & Girls Clubs sites in Louisville, Ky., and Atlanta, Summer Learning Summer Fun is an enrichment program that provides fun research-based learning experiences for children ages six through 15. The goal of the program is to bridge the summer learning gap children often experience between the end of one school year and the beginning of the next.
Of the children who participated in the first year of the summer curriculum program, 52 percent improved one-half to two reading grade levels during the summer months. This is particularly impressive since many summer programs are considered successful when students are able to simply maintain reading grade level scores—showing no loss and making no gains.
Tags: academic achievement, amp, army corps, break dancing, ceo, curriculum program, darling, dramatic arts, enrichment program, family, family literacy, gap, girls clubs, louisville ky, parents, salvation army, school year, spelling skills, summer break, summer curriculum, summer fun, vocabulary, writing poetry