While the backpacks are tucked in the closet and textbooks arenowhere to be found, summer vacation doesn't have to be a vacationfrom learning.
And it shouldn't be.
"It is well documented that keeping kids engaged in the summerreally does matter," said Katie Kinnucan-Welsch, chairwoman of thedepartment of teacher education at the University of Dayton Schoolof Education and Allied Professions. "Particularly for kids who arestruggling with school, but really for all kids, it's important tohave continuous opportunities for learning."
But you won't have to worry about groans and eye rolling becausesummertime means countless fun and free learning opportunitiesthroughout the Miami Valley.
Natural learners
"If left to their own devices, children are natural learners andare naturally curious," Kinnucan-Welsch said. "Once you provide themwith an opportunity for learning, you can stand by and let them go."
Those opportunities are available on a daily basis, whether it'sa word game in the car, a walk through the park or a trip to thelibrary.
"Every day is an opportunity to learn something new and kidsshould have multiple learning experiences every day," Kinnucan-Welsch said.
That doesn't mean learning has to be a chore. It could be assimple as having a conversation. Kinnucan-Welsch suggests pointingout unusual objects as you drive by or playing vocabulary or rhyminggames in the car.
"Conversations are important for vocabulary development," shesaid.
But it isn't just about introducing new words or concepts. Howyou introduce them can make all the difference.
"The old fashioned way of learning was to memorize," she said."But a more lasting way to learn is having the concept be part of anauthentic context."
Learning the names for plants or animals while hiking, workingwith numbers to figure out percentage-off prices on the departmentstore sale rack, or even keeping track of bowling scores in yourhead instead of relying on the monitor are all examples ofincorporating learning into everyday activities.
Turning the page
According to the International Reading Association and theNational Council of Teachers of English, summer vacation can have asignificant negative effect on student learning. The solution issimple -- summer reading. Regular summer reading can preventdocumented reading achievement losses.
"Parents need to tune into what their kids are interested in andencourage them to learn more about it," Kinnucan-Welsch said.
Letting young readers choose their books increases the likelihoodthat they will make it to the last page. If incentives are helpful,many local libraries and bookstores offer summer reading clubscomplete with prizes.
If parents want even more resources, the IRA/NCTE Read-WriteThink website offers materials for children from kindergartenthrough high school. Printouts, activities, games, projects and evenpodcasts are available online.
But while the Internet is a good starting point, there is nosubstitute for getting out and learning firsthand.
Living and learning in the Miami Valley
Five Rivers MetroParks
Toddlers and preschoolers
Children's Discovery Garden at Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark.Interactive programming at 2 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdaysthrough Aug. 31.
Butterfly House at Cox Arboretum MetroPark, July 9 through LaborDay.
The historical farm at Carriage Hill MetroPark or the sustainablefarm at Possum Creek MetroPark provide children with an up-closelook at animal husbandry and food production in two very differentways.
Tike Hike programs at 10 a.m. on various days at variousMetroParks facilities. Each hike is geared toward young children andintroduces them to the beauty of nature.
School-aged children
The Passport to Nature program
gives children and their parents incentives for learning aboutnature and discovering the world around them through basic scienceand biology.
Fishing at several locations in the MetroParks does not requirean Ohio fishing license, including: Cedar Lake and North Woods Pondat Carriage Hill; Eastwood lagoon and Blue Lake at EastwoodMetroPark; the ponds and Argonne Lake at Possum Creek; and DogwoodPond and Lake George at Twin Creek.
Tweens and teens
Nature programs suggested for "all ages" or "14 and older" areappropriate for older children who already have a working knowledgeof basic science and biology concepts. Cafe Sci programs are forchildren who are curious about nature and want to expand theirknowledge. The Environmental Film series features films and engagingdiscussions.
Dayton Metro Library
From story time to craft projects and puppet shows to chessclubs, the Dayton Metro Library branches have a calendar packed withdaily children's activities. There are programs geared toward thepreschool set, grade school children and teens.
There are reading clubs for grades six and younger (Make aSplash), teens (Heroes @ Your Library) and adults (NovelDestinations), with prizes available at all levels.
Around town
The Dayton Art Institute Experiencenter provides formal andinformal learning and recreational activities for children and theirfamilies.
The National Museum of the United States Air Force has aerospaceactivities for the entire family.
Look no further than local bookstores to find story times,reading clubs and special events. Books & Co. offers regular storytimes at both locations and has a Junie B. Jones summer readingprogram that offers a free backpack upon completion. Barnes & Noblealso offers regular story times at both area locations.
Advice for parents
Encourage reading all summer. Let children select their ownreading materials.
Engage children in conversations to help them develop theirvocabulary and problem-solving skills.
Embed learning opportunities in everyday activities -- whetherit's a drive or a trip to the store.
Encourage participation in structured activities through localparks and libraries to help children expand what they know.
-- Katie Kinnucan-Welsch,
University of Dayton School of Education and Allied Professions
For more information
Dayton Metro Library: www. daytonmetrolibrary.org Five RiversMetroParks: www.metroparks.org ReadWriteThink:www.readwritethink.org
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