HERE’S WHAT I THINK: Summer programs help keep kids on track

Summer break for kids may mean time away from learning but studies have shown that shouldn’t be the case.

According to statistics from a Rand Corp. article cited in a policy brief by the Ohio Research Center (Issue No. 7, May 2013):

• Many students perform, on average, one month behind where they were at the end of the school year.
• The summer slide in reading can accumulate to a 1.5- to 2-year loss from the end of kindergarten to the end of fifth grade.
• Low-income students are disproportionately affected by summer learning loss and lose more ground in reading than their peers, while higher-income peers may make gains.
• All students lose some ground in mathematics.

There are opportunities in Pickaway County to help children avoid or lessen summer learning loss.

Pickaway H.E.L.P.S coordinates Kids on Campus each summer with support from Ohio Christian University and PPG Industries.

The summer enrichment program provides week-long sessions at Ohio Christian in math, science, technology and visual arts.

For more information, call Christy Mills at (740) 474-5383 or send an e-mail to [email protected].

To promote reading, learners of all ages can take part in the Pickaway County District Public Library’s annual summer reading program.

The library also offers book clubs for students on Wednesdays and a reading tutor, provided by Ohio University, on Fridays in the summer.

For more information, call the Youth Services Desk at (740) 477-1644, Ext. 236.

The library and the Pickaway County Family YMCA have partnered for several years with the library bringing “story time on wheels” to the Y’s Nicholas Drive location and reading to pre-school age and younger children once a week.

The Y also collaborates with Circleville City Schools through a summer reading program. Circleville’s Tiger Bus stops at the Y’s summer lunch program on Tuesdays and children can check out books, said Marty DeLamatre, associate child care director.

For more information, call the Y at (740) 474-1661 or go to circlevillecityschools.org/ces.