Literacy Camp Lessons

Members of the JE Community email list have received updates about the Summer Literacy Camp. Six elementary students from different local districts gathered to build literacy skill. During sessions, participants engaged in hands-on activities, discussions, and games. Topics included written self-expression, cause-and-effect relationships, and sequencing events. Everything was planned: lessons were meticulously detailed, activities were aligned with standards. Then, parents and students arrived.

As the Summer Literacy Camp unfolded, we found a groove. Students developed an understanding of behavior expectations. The volunteers and I learned to work together in a new capacity toward development of more independent learners. Everyone learned to support one another in ways that facilitated learning while promoting curiosity and creativity. Three lessons were reinforced during this experience.

Lesson 1 - Don't go it alone.
Involve parents and family members in the learning process. In addition to sharing preparatory activities via email before each camp date, a peer tutor was invited to improve student-teacher ratios. Camps are designed to be inclusive; that is, each participant is involved in each learning activity. Having support, whether in the form of peer tutors or other educators, enhances engagement and amps up motivation.

Lesson 2 - Embrace curricular adjustments.
View the lesson plan as an instructional guide, not a law. Remaining flexible is imperative to leverage spontaneous teachable moments. This is particularly challenging when time is limited, which is almost always the case. Though ideal, transitioning from one topic to the next as outlined in a day's lesson plan may not be possible. During Literacy Camp, scaffolds were provided while students completed advanced activities. The objective was to engage all students, to improve individual performance through preparation.

Lesson 3 - Take time to reflect and learn.
Educators and parents adopt varying reflection exercises. Some blog about their experiences. Others prefer to curate portfolios and visuals. Whatever your approach, moments of reflection are invaluable. These moments provide opportunity to identify areas in need of improvement as well as successes worth celebrating.

In true fashion, reflection on the Summer Literacy Camp resulted in a number of new strategies for supporting parents and students. Feedback from parents prompted development of Multiplication Circles, the first event under the Jackson Education Support Circles umbrella. Parents of students enrolled in 3rd through 5th grade are encouraged to register here.

Jackson Education Support Circles are designed to improve parents' ability to help learners complete homework and assignments. Share skills you'd like to revive via email.

The Secret to Student Growth

Do any of these sound familiar? Mindset is everything. Challenges make life interesting. Think positive thoughts. Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we respond. 

Time and again, we realize how outlook influences outcome. The wisest among us leverage this fact to manage stress and respond to obstacles with novel ideas. At age 19, Jessica Matthew invented SOCCKET ball to help those living in developing countries recuperate from power outages. She is quoted saying, "It's not just about providing off-grid power. It's about believing what you put into something can give you something in return".

All too often, the connection between outcome and outlook becomes clear in hindsight. More important, students may not have the skills to develop logical connections between effort and experiences. Honing this skill requires heavy lifting. Much work is required to change the figurative zebra's stripes, but it's possible.

The old way

Traditional views of learning tend to align with the fixed mindset, the antipode of growth mindset. Individuals with a fixed mindset believe they are defined by things they're good at; having a fixed mindset fails to account for the value of effort and the benefit of mistakes. Promoting fixed mindset qualities in students decreases motivation, causes disengagement, and stifles growth. 

The new secret

Today's psychologists and educational thinkers are rallying behind a way of thinking coined growth mindset by Dr. Carol Dweck. Adopting a growth mindset requires one to become self-aware. The secret to student growth involves training students to monitor their thoughts; then, use results to strengthen character. 

Monitor thoughts

By reflecting on internal processes, we identify helpful and abandon harmful story lines. The following questions prompt student reflection.

1. What strategies worked well for me?
2. What strategies did not work for me?
3. What should I do next time?
4. Do I need some help for next time?

As educators and parents, we want to model growth mindset characteristics through reflection exercises as well. Consider making this internal process visible to learners by "thinking aloud", and challenge learners to do the same. Demonstrate the thought process needed to improve a second (third or fourth) iteration of a task.

Strengthen character

Knowledge of character strengths helps us improve those traits working against student growth. Equally important as brainstorming solutions with learners is doing so with a positive attitude about options. (This may call for above average acting skills, at times.)

Not sure where to start? Character Lab offers a number of tools to help. It's a great option for aggregating student and stakeholder feedback on growth. Character Growth Cards are similar to Report Cards in that they promote discussion about strengths and weaknesses; this helps learners leverage strengths to build up weaker skills. The primary difference between Growth Cards and Report Cards lies in the qualitative nature of the former. In place of alphanumeric scores, Character Lab's Growth Card reports qualify student efforts in each of eight character strengths (or character traits). An added benefit is the goal-setting feature used to collaborate with families, build confidence, and improve performance.

Character development is the secret to student growth. Developing character strengths is a strategy for addressing academic challenges and behavior issues. Contact Jackson Education Support to learn how we can help.

Summer Learning Loss is Real!

Heard about summer learning loss? This is likely a new term for parents and an all too familiar challenge for educators. Summer learning loss refers to loss of knowledge and skills over summer vacation.

Here’s how summer learning loss begins…

During summer months, many families opt out of academic summer activities. They are so excited to have a break from the "school year" there’s next to no time spent on reading about current events or practicing math skills. Instead, people prefer to reconnect on family vacations, plan cookouts with friends, and relax at home. 

Though you may not have heard of summer learning loss, you’ve likely experienced it. The week-long trip to the theme park… plus weekly trips to grandma’s house… combined with baseball and girl scout camps... may leave little time during summer months to review mastered skills and build weaker ones. By early August, anxieties swell. Parents hustle to secure copies of books, and fears of starting a new school year rise in students. A couple months into the semester, everyone is overwhelmed – teachers, parents, and students alike.

What is it really?

First Lady Michelle Obama launched United We Serve: Let’s Read, Let’s Move in 2010 to encourage Americans to fight the summer reading gap (also known as summer learning loss). This effort is borne out of the fact that youth who do not read during the summer can lose months of academic progress.

The U.S. Department of Education reports that “for far too many children, reading achievement either stalls or becomes worse when schoolwork stops during the summer”.

It seems the magic number is 5! From the research published by the Department of Education to that published by RAND Corporation, reports confirm that children who read at least five books during summer months begin the school year on track.

Understand the impact

• Math and spelling are the areas most affected by summer learning loss with students losing an average of 2.6 months (nearly 80 days) of math knowledge and skills along with an average of 2 months (60 days) of spelling knowledge and skills.
• Teachers spend 4 to 6 weeks (about 30 days) re-teaching material students have forgotten. Addressing the effects of summer learning loss causes teachers to lose ground  when it comes to preparing students to meet benchmarks.
• You may be thinking… families and educators that survive Fall months are in the clear... they’ve won the battle with summer slide. Though possible, it’s not always the case. This phenom doesn’t just impact performance in the Fall semester. High school curriculum placement and dropout rates are directly related to accumulation of aforementioned challenges.

Take Action

Identify summer camps that emphasize academics. Locate summer courses that are convenient to attend; this may mean registering for an online course you’ve considered. Teaching others is also a great way to sharpen skills. Students volunteer with organizations like United Way to help peers and younger learners build skills over the summer in many communities.

Sports and the arts are vital to rearing well-rounded young people. Any environment that cultivates student desires offers a quality learning experience. But, we want to keep academics in the mix. It’s imperative that students strengthen literacy, math, and science skills during summer months.

Jackson Education Support has a history of supporting learners in literacy, math, and science year round. Support options include private tutoring, online tutoring, and small group events. If you’re in the Jackson, Mississippi metropolitan area, consider registering your child for Summer Saturday Camps. The Math Camp is scheduled for June 2016, and the Literacy Camp is scheduled for July 2016. Parents of learners entering grades 3 - 5 in Fall 2016 are invited to register here.