A renowned study by Harris Cooper, then a professor of psychological sciences at the University of Missouri, estimated that summer loss for all students equals about one month on a grade-level equivalent scale. Low-income students are documented to experience even higher levels of loss.
To lessen this potential loss, Cooper, currently a professor at Duke University, suggests parents work with children during the summer months by engaging in small, individualized programs. Children spend five times as much time outside school as they do in the classroom — most heavily concentrated in the summer — so parents are the best ones to solve summer learning loss if they have the tools they need.
As the worldwide leader in family literacy, NCFL took this information and created the Camp What-A-Wonder program. The first camp of its kind, the online series offers exploration, adventure and discovery, which can be shared by parents and children without having to leave home or paying to attend camp.
The virtual camp will convene each Thursday from June 23 through Aug. 11, when Wonderopolis.org transforms into a camp environment with exciting backgrounds and a new Wonder of the Day® focused on the following camp experiences:
June 23: Happy Campers Get ready for useful outdoor skills and tips while learning the lay of the land at Camp What-A-Wonder! Something every camper should learn early is just what poison ivy looks like.
June 30: Creepy Crawling CrittersOne thing that is abundant at camp that you can never get rid of is BUGS! This week campers can get up close and personal with their summer companions when they find out if a praying mantis really prays.
July 7: Campfire Cooking Wonder Mess Hall is open for business offering fun facts about cooking in the wilderness. No campfire is complete without s’mores! Learn where these traditional treats got their name.
July 14: Spooky StoriesHarnessing the imagination around the campfire is a rite of passage at camp. This is the week to help encourage storytelling by encouraging campers to share their favorite ghost story.
July 21: Team What-A-WonderGames and sports occupy a lot of what campers experience while at camp. Learn the powers of teamwork and find out just how many people can play the camp classic, tug of war.
July 28: Craft-A-PaloozaAnother staple of any summer camp experience is the variety of arts and crafts activities available. Campers can really tap into their creativity and get their hands dirty when they learn how to make paint out of berries.
Aug. 4: Awesome AdventuresNature hikes and other outdoor explorations are great sources for wondering at camp. Hiking comes with the camping territory. Learn about the wonders that a night hike will unveil.
Aug. 11: Talent Show No camp experience is complete without a talent show. Everyone’s invited to perform! Campers can find out just how a voice can break glass and tout their own talents in the comments section.
June 23 to Aug. 11: Campfire SessionsDon’t miss Wonderopolis’ weekly Campfire Sessions — a one-hour opportunity for parents to gather and discuss related topics with a facilitator. The topics will focus on the same weekly themes at camp and will take place on Twitter on Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET.
Participants completing the wonder-filled camping experience will be eligible to win fun participation prizes that will uphold the Wonderopolis principle of learning through wonder.
About Wonderopolis®Created by the National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL), Wonderopolis® is a place where parents seek and nurture a brighter world for their children through the power of discovery, creativity, learning and imagination. Wonderopolis launched in October 2010 with a core content strategy revolving around a Wonder of the Day, a curious question derived to make learning fun and practical.
About NCFLThe National Center for Family Literacy is the worldwide leader in family literacy. More than 1 million families have made positive educational and economic gains as a result of NCFL’s work, which includes training more than 150,000 teachers and thousands of volunteers. For more information, visit www.famlit.org.
About Verizon ThinkfinityWonderopolis is a part of Verizon Foundation’s Thinkfinity.org program. Thinkfinity.org provides thousands of free educational resources to teachers, parents and students to use in and out of the classroom. In addition to providing standards-based resources from the nation’s leading educational organizations, Thinkfinity.org also offers a comprehensive professional-development program that allows teachers to sign up for free online or face-to-face training to learn how to make the most of Thinkfinity tools. It also includes the Thinkfinity Community, an online spot for teachers, administrators and parents to ask questions, share ideas and discussion education topics of today. To learn more about Thinkfinity, visit www.thinkfinity.org.
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References:
Johns Hopkins University, School of Education, Center for Summer Learning. (n.d.) On summer lost. Baltimore, MD: author. Retrieved October 15, 2007, from http://www-personal.umich.edu/%7Edkcohen/Alexander_2001.pdf
National Association for Summer Learning Loss, interview with Harris Cooper.
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