June 25, 2025 • 35 mins
Summer break shouldn’t mean learning loss. In this episode, Carol talks with award-winning educator Dr. Cicely Woodard about how to help kids avoid the “summer slide”—where they can lose two to three months of progress in math and reading over the summer.
Dr. Woodard shares lots of simple ways parents can help kids stay sharp in math and reading throughout the summer months. She and Carol talk about how everyday activities, like turning grocery runs into math lessons and reading together at bedtime, can make a big impact.
This episode is packed with practical advice you can start using today to keep kids engaged and learning while making sure they have the summer break they need. If you want to set your kids up for a strong start in the next school year this episode is for you. Don’t miss it!
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Follow Ground Control Parenting:
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Dr. Woodard shares lots of simple ways parents can help kids stay sharp in math and reading throughout the summer months. She and Carol talk about how everyday activities, like turning grocery runs into math lessons and reading together at bedtime, can make a big impact.
This episode is packed with practical advice you can start using today to keep kids engaged and learning while making sure they have the summer break they need. If you want to set your kids up for a strong start in the next school year this episode is for you. Don’t miss it!
Episode Links:
- Zern Math: A free, interactive math platform designed for elementary and middle school students
- Khan Academy: Free online lessons and practice in math, reading, science, and more—personalized to your child’s level. Great for kids K–12.
- Prodigy: A game-based math program where kids solve problems to win battles and earn rewards. Best for grades 1–8.
- PBS LearningMedia: Free videos, games, and activities across subjects, created by PBS for PreK–12 learners.
- Smithsonian Learning Lab: Resources and lessons using Smithsonian museum collections
More GCP:
- Subscribe to the newsletter for additional show details and more!
Follow Ground Control Parenting:
📱 Instagram, TikTok & Facebook: @GroundControlParenting
💼 LinkedIn: Carol Sutton Lewis
🌐 Website: GroundControlParenting.com
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Hello, and welcome to Ground Control Parenting, a blog and
now a podcast creative for parents raising black and brown children.
I'm the creator and your host, Carol Sutton Lewis. In
this podcast series, I talk with some really interesting people
about the job and the joy of parenting. So you've
probably heard about the summer slide, that learning loss that
(00:25):
kids make experience over the summer, where they can lose
two to three months of progress in math and reading.
But what might surprise you is that by the time
a student reaches the fifth grade, all those summers of
learning loss can add up to a gap of two
to three full years. So as we wrap up another
school year, now is the perfect time to talk about
how we can help our kids stay sharp and avoid
(00:46):
that summer slide.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
And today we have the perfect guest to help us
do just that.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Doctor Cecily Woodard is a powerhouse educator with over twenty
years of experience making math fun, meaningful, and confidence boosting
for students. She spent much of her career teaching middle
school math in Tennessee, and she currently teaches high school
math in Springfield, Missouri. Outside of the classroom, she's a
nationally recognized of education leader, having served on advisory boards,
(01:12):
mentored future teachers, and help shape education policy. She's earned
lots of awards along the way, including the Presidential Award
for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching and the Tennessee.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Teacher of the Year.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
Doctor Widard holds degrees from the University of Memphis, Vanderbilt University,
and Lipscombe University. She currently serves on the NEA Foundation
Board and is a lead mathematics professor at Reach University's
Teachers College, which offers apprentice based bachelor's and master's degrees
for full time school employees. And Doctor Widard understands the
issue of summer slide as a teacher and as a parent,
(01:48):
as she and her husband, Ron are the proud parents
of two sons, Jonathan, who is eighteen and Joseph, who
is sixteen.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Welcome to Ground Control Parenting, Doctor Woodard.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Thank you, Carol, Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
I'm so happy to have you here talk about an
issue that ground Control Parenting has been focused on for
more than a decade, that threaded summer slide. I'd love
to have your help with how we can manage the
slide in ways it'll get our kids engaged and that
parents can manage.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
So let's get started.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
Absolutely, So first, can you.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Break down for us exactly what the summer slide is
and how it impacts students when they head back to school.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
So I think it's really important to start with the
fact that students learn so much during the school year.
They come in August or September and they spend you know,
nine to ten months gaining all of these new skills
in math, science, reading, social studies, and even their extracurricular activities.
(02:47):
And when summer hits and they stop practicing those skills,
they lose that learning that they have experienced throughout the
school year, especially shows up in reading and mathematics. And
there are things that we can do, though, to ensure
that students keep the learning that they have experienced throughout
(03:09):
the school year.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
So when they come back in the fall in August
or September, what do you see are they forgetting what
they learned and what kind of impact does it have?
And why is that a problem? I mean, is it
tough to reteach them?
Speaker 3 (03:23):
Yeah, it is really tough that the beginning of the
school year, it's evident what students have experienced. Good practice
in the summer, and then those students who haven't you
can see it because they have a hard time accessing
that prior knowledge. And often, especially in math class, skills
build on each other, and so as an algebra one teacher,
(03:45):
I really need the students to understand what they learned
in seventh grade math and eighth grade math so that
they can be prepared for algebra one and the skills
that they will experience there. Often, as teachers, we try to,
or effective teachers anyway, try really hard to ensure that
they are learning grade level standards while also making sure
(04:07):
that they remember those standards from previous years. But it's
definitely a challenge because we often have so many new
skills to cover that we really need students to come
in strong with those skills from previous grade levels.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
And we talk about losses in both math and reading.
But doesn't reading loss over the summer also kind of
hurt you in the math department. Isn't there a connection
between your reading skills and your math skills?
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (04:36):
Absolutely, I would definitely say that there's a connection. There is.
I often tell my students that learning math is like
learning a new language because there are so many words
that we are expecting students to understand and comprehend, and
often they are new words connected to learning mathematics. Also,
students are engaged in deep problem solving, and those problems
(04:59):
are often connected to their everyday lives. They are real
world problems, and we need students to be able to
decipher what's happening, what the question is asking them to do,
what information is being provided, and those are all reading skills.
Being able to even communicate about the mathematics that they're learning,
being able to write about it and to talk about it.
(05:23):
Those are all reading and literacy skills, and so yes,
reading absolutely impacts mathematics and other subjects as well.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
We've identified the problem and parents everywhere now they've heard this.
Nobody wants their child to fall behind. But what can
parents do to help keep their children's math and reading
skills sharp over the summer? And as you answer that,
my first question is, say you're sending your child to
a program for a few weeks during the summer where
there's academic skills being practiced. Is it's still necessary to
(05:57):
keep the skill sharp even after that program is over.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
Well, there are so many things that we can do
as parents. I think one place to start is before
school ends to ask your child's teacher how is my
child doing? But not just how is my child doing?
Is my child on grade level? Ask that teacher. Even
if there are no conferences in the spring, Even if
(06:23):
there's nothing scheduled like parent teacher conferences. Usually those are
over by now, But at the end of the year,
it's okay to send a quick email or to make
a quick phone call and say, hey, I just want
to check in and see what I can do with
my child this summer. Also, there are lots of resources
in the community to get kids engaged in reading and
(06:46):
in mathematics. For example, libraries often offer free programs to
encourage students to read more books, and that is a
great way to get kids engaged in reading. In terms
of math, I think of things that we can do
as parents that don't take a lot, like five or
ten minutes a day of math fact practicing using flash cards,
(07:10):
old school flash cards, or even new apps that are
out that can get kids really engaged in practicing those
facts and keeping those things fresh. Even things like cooking
with your child or going grocery shopping. Planning a budget,
thinking about how much money to spend on vacation and
how much to save. All of those things, even those
(07:31):
real world applications can get students involved in reading and
in mathematics throughout the summer.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
You know, I love all of those suggestions, and I'm
reminded that last season I had a great conversation with
Melody Hopson, who wrote a book about financial literacy for kids,
and we talked about how she grew up and her
mother would hand her the bill in a restaurant and
have her check the math on the bill and figure
out the tip, and it really helped her get focused
(08:00):
on money and how to spend it, but also doing
the math. And as you were talking about things you
can do when you're planning, budgeting and involving your kids,
it seems like they're simple things. If the family's out
for dinner and there's a bill, you can have your
children check it, or you can have them calculate what
the tip should be, or or I mean, there are
so many things at home where math is involved that
(08:23):
parents might not initially think to involve their children in
the calculations. But those are really really good suggestions. And
even if you are even if your child is going
off on an academic program, or you know, spending a
few weeks in a place where they are doing some.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Sort of learning.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
Is it still a good idea to continue this kind
of practice, the fun practice during the time that they're
with you.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
I think parents are a kid's first teacher, and so
when young people can learn from their parents, it really
sticks with them. I remember different things that I even
did with my parents that stick with me to this day.
I remember trying to memorize how many feet were in
(09:12):
a yard, and my mom was sitting there with me,
and she says, you know, there are three of you.
I had two younger sisters. There are three of you.
Think of three girls in the yard, there are three
feet in a yard. I can still remember this because
that was the analogy that my mom taught me. We
brought up, you know, going to a restaurant. I remember,
as a family of five, we used to go to
(09:34):
this restaurant that separated the ticket by person, and so,
just like you talked about, my dad would have us
to estimate how much was it going to cost based
on this receipt with all five of us, and so
all of those things are great ways to engage students
in thinking about mathematics with a parent, and that really
(09:56):
sticks with students because you know, parents love you like
none other, and they can help you to think about
things in ways that you remember and help you to connect.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
You're making me remember that when I be in the
grocery store with the kids, especially if we're having a
bigger shop, we'd all try to guess to mate what
the bill would be, like who is going to get
close to the bill?
Speaker 2 (10:20):
And it wasn't it wasn't hard math.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
It wasn't like we were looking at each thing and
looking at the pricing, but just the number of things
and what we thought things cost.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
And so while we're waiting for them.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
To ring it up, we're all like throwing in our
guesses to see who's going to get closest. So you
can make any kind of chore or any kind of
activity that where there's math involved, kind of a fun
family game.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Absolutely, even time thinking about how long it's going to
take to do something, or how long is it going
to take us to drive to this place, All of
those ideas are mathematically engaged, and students can think about
those and use their estimation skills even with their parents.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
So as a parent, I am listening to this and
I'm thinking, Okay, that sounds good.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
But the next question is how often do we need
to do this?
Speaker 1 (11:08):
I mean, how much time I should are we thinking
in terms of daily or weekly? How much time should
I as a parent want to make sure I get
in doing these kind of things to feel as if
my child's skills are staying sharp.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
So I think even fifteen to twenty minutes of daily
math practice would make a difference in the summer. I
think reading should be done every day, fifteen to thirty
minutes of reading a day, and you may find that
you have a child who really falls in love with
reading and will want to sit there even longer. I
wouldn't stop them. That is totally okay for them to
(11:47):
read for even longer, even I don't want to discount.
Like audio books or listening to books is still reading.
And so when I listen to an audiobook, I'm visualizing
what's happening, I'm visualizing the words, I can see the scenes.
All of those ideas build literacy skills in students. So
(12:11):
if a student says, or a child says, oh, I
don't you know, maybe they don't want to sit there
and read. You know, having them listen to an audiobook
is still reading. And so yeah, so short time, it
doesn't have to be a lot.
Speaker 2 (12:26):
That's good to know.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
And is that advice the same throughout the child's school life,
I mean, or does it need to increase more as
the child gets older?
Speaker 3 (12:37):
Yeah, I would say definitely as as students get older.
Children get older, they can handle more more time. But
in the early elementary and middle school years, when you're
building that confidence building, building them up, then even a
short amount of time of fifteen to twenty minutes on
math fax fifteen to twenty minutes a day reading really
(12:59):
does make a difference. I was recently shopping with my son.
We were shopping for a one year old's birthday gift,
and we decided to buy some books. And he reminded
me of all the times that we spent in the
evenings reading before he went to bed, and he said, Mom,
I remember falling asleep so many times listening to you
read to me. It was comforting, it was enjoyable. I
(13:23):
looked forward to it. And so I think that there's
so many benefits in terms of building students' reading skills.
But there's also this benefit of building a bond and
helping children feel loved and comfortable.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
I can remember at the end of every school year,
I would march my children to the bookstore and we
would buy summer workbooks. I knew them to be summer workbooks,
but they had some fun names to them.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
And this was all going to be our fund. We
were all going to do it together.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
I mean, there was a family activity that we'd spend
a few do a few pages, and in that instance
we could all work together. We could help each other
sort of solve problems. We do different problems of different levels,
and making it a game of sort or making it
something that was a family activity which generally wouldn't happen
(14:13):
during the school year, I think encouraged the kids to
really feel good about it. You know, it was time
spending time with the family. It was time time that
we would all sit down and put our thinking caps
on and try to solve the problems.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
Absolutely, that's so good.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
We'll be right back after these messages. Welcome back to
the show.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
Now, what about if you're a parent who really didn't
like math or reading or so, what if you don't
feel that confident with your own math skills. And I mean,
if you have a first or second grade or that's
one thing, but your child's now in the seventh grade
or the sixth grade and their math is pretty foreign
to you. How can parents overcome their own feelings of
(14:54):
math phobia if they have them, or if they don't
like reading, in order to encourage their children to keep working.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
So, I think the best advice I've given this instance
is be thoughtful about how you talk about math and
how you talk about reading. It's okay to have those feelings,
but we don't always have to tell our kids. You know,
it's okay to feel like, oh, this is not my favorite.
(15:21):
But what if we look at our children and we
see that they are enjoying math or that they have
some aptitude in mathematics, It's okay to build them up
and to say, you know what, you are doing really
well at this, or I see you working really hard
at this, or way to persevere this is great. We
(15:41):
don't always have to admit that we hate something because
we don't want our students, our children to take on
those same feelings, especially if they are seeing some success
at it. We want to build on that success and
encourage them to continue to work hard and to do
their absolute best. And if they do come and say,
you know what, mom, this is not my favorite dad,
(16:04):
I don't really like this class. It's okay to say,
you know, this may be hard, but you can do
hard things, and I believe in you and I know
you can be successful. So keep showing up and keep trying,
rather than admitting that you hate it too.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
So I think that's so right. You could if it
might not be so bad. If you admit that you
struggled with this kind of thing. You can say it
in the past, you struggled with.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
This kind of thing, and then maybe.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
Children love to see their parents a little vulnerable. I
mean in the sense that if you say, you know,
let's look at this together, because I had a hard
time with this too, Why don't you explain to me
what you're doing and tell me what you don't understand.
I mean, there can be unless it's really high level
mathematics and there's no way that you could pick it up.
I think if you show that it's okay to not
(16:57):
understand something at first and to work at it, and
then I mean, or you could say, look, I want
to learn this too.
Speaker 2 (17:03):
So let's learn it together.
Speaker 3 (17:06):
Yes, I think that's so good. I think one of
my favorite questions to ask students when they say, oh,
I'm confused or I don't understand, I don't get it,
I asked them, well, what do you know? Because they
all know something, what do you know about this problem?
What if you learned so far, what do you think
you know from the past that might help you with this?
And so those are all great questions that parents can
(17:28):
ask their children while they're working on problems that may
be even hard for them.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
Those are good questions. I'm reminded that, you know, parents,
for whatever reason, are find it easy to focus on
reading the importance of reading. And years ago, in another
podcast session with an educator, he was telling me that
you would never say about your child, oh, he's not
(17:54):
a reader. I mean, you wouldn't say that your child's
not a reader, and that would be the end of
the sentence. You would say, well, he's not reading so well,
but we're helping him with reading. But people feel more
comfortable saying oh, I'm not a math person. He's not
a math person, as if that's a sort of finite circumstance,
like you're not a math person and everyone should know
everyone can be a math person. I mean it's not it's.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
Just figuring out how to work with math.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
But it's funny that people are more easily able to
talk about their math phobia than they are reading.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
I mean, we should have they should be equal.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
You should be as concerned about having a child that
is as good in math as they are in reading.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
Because both of the skills are so important.
Speaker 3 (18:35):
So true of this reminds me of one of my
favorite math sayings is in order to be a math person,
all you have to do is do math and be
a person, which means that we can all be math people. Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
So you mentioned apps.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
Are there any online activities or do you recommend doing
online activities for math as part of the summer work.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
Yeah, there are some great online activities for math that
are adaptive, And what I mean by that is they
will give your child problems and see how they perform
on those problems, and then give them more problems at
that level, and then increase the level and increase the
level as they start to master them. Their programs like
(19:21):
Zern and con Academy and even Prodigy that do that
exactly that, And so I think that those that's the
best way to help to meet your child where they
are and then to help them build on those skills
over time. It's really powerful to see that in action,
and it's pretty exciting now with the technology that we
(19:44):
have that as parents, you know, you can give them
fifteen to twenty minutes of time on the screen and
it feels like playing a game. It feels like they're
really engaged and they're learning, They're learning new skills along
the way.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
Yes, I was thinking about con Academy and though those
are in fact, I will make sure to put in
the episode notes for this episode some of the different
resources that parents can with your help, some of the
different resources that parents can turn to. Because I'm a
huge fan of con Academy for everyone, but I love
the way that they do have this adaptive learning so
(20:20):
everyone feels as if they're progressing in a fun way.
I'm wondering about parents, and again this might be hearkening
back to their own feelings, but being a little concerned
about having to keep their kids in summer school. I
mean to feel like this is kind of a burden
for their children. Should parents begin the summer with a
conversation with their children about how were we going to
(20:41):
keep your skills sharp? Or do you think it's necessary
to let them know this or is it okay to
just incorporate it without telling the children Why I mean,
I guess I'm asking because some parents may feel like,
I don't want to make my kid do summer school
if they don't have to.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
I think learning shows up in lots of different ways.
It doesn't necessarily have to be summer school in the
sense of what school feels like. There's so many different
ways that students can learn, and I think it's really
important when supporting summer learning to build on what you
already know about your child's learning and career pathways that
(21:22):
they may be interested in. Even as early as middle school,
it's not too early to start thinking about and talking
about and asking those questions, what do you think you
might want to do? What are you interested in? Let's
see if we can find some camps or some activities
around this idea that you are interested in right now,
whether it's drama or STEM. Maybe they really like science
(21:47):
class and there's a STEM camp that they can attend,
Or maybe they really enjoy playing their musical instrument and
there's a music camp that they can attend. All of
that helps with their cognitive skills and keeps them fresh
over the summer. And so I don't think that learning
has to be you know, traditional summer school. I think
(22:10):
that it should definitely be based on what students and
children are interested in. And so that means that parents
need to ask and be really in tune with building
on what they know about their child's learning and about
their child's career choices.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
And for the benef of the parents who might be
tempted to go overboard, how important is it to balance
any kind of academic activity with some creative things or
sort of playtime during the summer.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
Yes, children need to move, they need to move, they
need to get out, they need to play. All of
that helps with their cognitive development as well. And so
and that play doesn't have to be structured. It can
be ooh, me and let's meet a friend at the
park for a play date. And in that they are
learning social emotional skills, They're learning how to interact with
(23:03):
each other. It can be you know, them going outside
to play with the neighborhood kids and starting a game
of pickup basketball or kickball in the backyard. It can
be so many things, but they definitely need to move
and summer is the perfect time to do that. It
can be a trip to the pool, it can be
swimming lessons. We all need to know how to swim.
(23:25):
Our children need to be able to do that. And
so there's so many ways that we can engage students
in learning that doesn't have to be traditional summer school.
Speaker 2 (23:35):
That's great.
Speaker 1 (23:35):
And just to follow up on that, how do you
know if you're overdoing it? I mean, imagine if you've
got your child at a desk for half the day
or more than half the day, or if they're showing
some times of stress. I mean, what do we have
to look out for to make sure we're not overdoing it.
Speaker 3 (23:52):
I love that this generation of children is so in
tune with their mental health. They will let you know
when this mom, this is too much, Dad, I just
I want to take a nap, or I need a break,
or let's go outside and play. I believe that and
I have seen it even in my high school students. Now,
(24:13):
they are all about taking care of themselves and taking
care of their mental health. They know when they need
to just breathe, and they are able to vocalize that. Now,
my students even talk about their experiences in therapy and
(24:33):
how they're seeing therapists, and before that was something that
people did not discuss. And so I just believe that
we have to pay attention. We have to pay attention
to our children and really listen to how they're feeling.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
I think that is really important. I agree that children
now are much more in touch with their feelings.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
They're much more vocal about them.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
And parents who either are dealing with the younger children
and they've had older children or parents that are just
fairly strongly recalling how they grew up, maybe a little
less comfortable or less trusting of this process where you
know your child tells you how they feel, and your
first instinct might be to say, okay, well that's interesting,
but I don't. I mean, that's not going to impact
(25:17):
me because I know best. I know there's that parents
can want to hold on to that. But from what
you're saying, it's so true we really have to sort
of put that aside and listen to our children. This
has been a really there's been a big awakening of
what's necessary for mental health, as you said, and it's
(25:37):
really important that we try to if we have to
retrain ourselves as parents to trust a little bit more
in our children's ability to voice their feelings and for
the feelings to matter to us.
Speaker 2 (25:50):
I mean it's a thin line.
Speaker 1 (25:53):
I mean your child will often tell you that they
don't want to do something, or they don't feel ready
to do something, and you think, you know, perhaps they're
just trying to avoid it. But you have to know
your child, but you really do have to listen to
them and give them the benefit of the doubt.
Speaker 3 (26:06):
Yeah. Absolutely, Yeah, No.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
It's hard to do, but so much of parenting is practice,
and so we have to practice this.
Speaker 3 (26:16):
Yes, we definitely don't always get it right, but practice
helps a lot.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
So now, how do we know if it's working.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
Are we just confident in the process that if we
do this informal the sort of maths skills and reading,
that they'll be good or are there any things that
we should be doing more in alignment with the school
to make sure that they're ready.
Speaker 3 (26:38):
So I will say that that often school districts have
different summer programs that are a little bit different from
summer school. They are really connected to student interests and
they are connected to even summer tutoring and programs and classes,
and if parents have access to things like that, to
(27:02):
programs like that, I would imagine that some of those
programs would be able to do sort of pre assessments
and post assessments, and I would definitely encourage parents that
if they have the resources and access to them, then
they should definitely do those I think if we are
on our own, I think that you will be able
(27:23):
to see a difference in your child with some consistency
and with some just being focused on doing this in
a consistent basis, doing that daily practice, that daily reading.
I think that they will be different going into the
school year than they would be if you hadn't done it,
(27:44):
and you'll be able to see a difference. They'll be
more confident, they'll show up at school more ready, and
they will you'll notice it once they get back to
school and they are performing so well in the classroom.
I think that's test right there. That's the key.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
And you know, just circling back to something you said
at the very beginning, before the school year ends, if
you can have a conversation with the teacher about sort
of how your child is learning and where their weaknesses are,
and their strength. You might also ask if there are
any booklists that the school gives for the summer. They
may sometimes they give summer reading, sometimes they give summer activities,
and depending on the grade of your child and your
(28:25):
child's eagerness to do this, they may not bring it
to your attention.
Speaker 2 (28:28):
But if you can start the summer knowing.
Speaker 1 (28:30):
That there are five books that the school has recommended
that your child read, it helps to set the schedule
for the summer. You can encourage your child to do
the things the school has asked for, particularly if they
say it's optional, maybe don't treat it as optional. Maybe
encourage your child to take it seriously. So yes, here's
(28:51):
my last question for you, doctor Woodard. If there was
one thing that you would want parents to take away
from this conversation about summer learning, what would it be.
What's what's the biggest the most important message here for parents?
Speaker 3 (29:04):
I would say, start early and be consistent, and connect
the summer learning to things that they are interested in.
Start early, be consistent, connected to something they're interested in,
and involve their teacher from the year before. Make sure
you have that conversation at the end of the year.
(29:26):
Know where your student is and then even get some
advice from their teacher about how they can work in
the summer and make it fun, make it interesting, and
connect it to things that they are really interested in,
and make sure that you are consistent with it. Even
just a few minutes a day makes a big difference.
Speaker 1 (29:48):
That is such great advice, words of wisdom that all
parents should definitely live by. So I'm going to wrap
it up here, doctor Witdard.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
First I want to say thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (29:57):
It's been a great conversation to really use with lots
of really good advice, and as I knew it would be,
I'm sure parents really appreciate your advice on how they
can help their kids avoid summers slide. So it's one
more thing before we go, and that is you have
to play the GCP Lightning Round. Okay, I'm ready, Okay, good,
(30:18):
four quick questions. Okay, here we go. Okay, what's your
favorite poem or saying?
Speaker 3 (30:23):
I would take a line from Amanda Gorham's poem The
Hell We Climb for there is always light, if only
we're brave enough to see it, if only we're brave
enough to be it.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
Love that really love that?
Speaker 1 (30:38):
Okay, name your favorite two children's books, and they can
be books you grew up with or books that your
children grew up here and you read.
Speaker 3 (30:45):
So one of my favorites is it's not really a
young children's book, it's more like a preteen book. Ghost
by Jason Reynolds. I was trying to convince my two
sons to and so we would, even once they got
into reading chapter books, we'd read like a chapter a
night together. And Ghost was a lot of fun and
(31:08):
evoked a lot of emotions in my pre teenagers.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
Cool.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
Yes. And then for myself, I think Charlotte's Web was
the book that convinced me that reading was the way
to go.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
No, that is a great one, and it stood the
test of time.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
It is yesterday always a favorite.
Speaker 1 (31:26):
Okay, So give me a mom moment that you would
love to do over. And I do not mean that
you loved it so much you would do it again.
I mean one that you would love to have a
do over for.
Speaker 3 (31:39):
Well, we used to go to this grocery store that
served meals about once a week. When my kids were
in boy Scouts. We didn't have time to go home
to cook, so we needed a hot meal for dinner
before going to boy Scout meetings, and we'd go there
and they had this gelato stand at the front, and
(32:00):
every time we'd go, my oldest son would want gelatto,
and every time I'd say no. And finally one day
I said, Okay, Jonathan, today's the day we're gonna get
gelatto and we will go in and the gelato counter
is closed. Oh it's closed because they are renovating the store,
and he was disappointed. I felt so bad because I
(32:22):
had been saying no all this time, and this was
the day we're gonna do it. And really that moment
was not about the gelatto. It was really about the
fact that sometimes as parents we get so busy, we
get so into we got to do everything right. No,
you can't have dessert before dinner, and all of these things,
when really I could have said yes. I could have
said yes to the gelato every now and then, and
(32:45):
there are other moments where I probably should have just
said yes and played a little longer, swam a little longer.
Speaker 2 (32:51):
You know.
Speaker 3 (32:52):
But but yeah, now that you are certainly not alone,
I mean that that is a good one, and want
to do over.
Speaker 2 (33:00):
But I understand perfectly.
Speaker 1 (33:01):
We've all been there where in retrospect, we could have
been a little easier, but we just get caught up
in the ways that we are being.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
So now tell me a moment.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
You nailed it as a mom, and I'm sure there
are many more of those.
Speaker 3 (33:17):
Yes, we've had some good moments. My youngest son is
a wrestler, and a few months ago, back in October,
he asked if we ride to school together. So I'm
a teacher. He's a student at the same school where
we go, and so I bring him to school with
me every day. And so a few months ago he says, Mom,
I would love to get to school at six fifteen
(33:37):
in the morning to run with the Crosswick country team.
I really want to keep my weight down. I want
to do this every morning and run with them. And
I thought about it for a moment in my head,
I was like, oh, this is going to be very inconvenient.
But I didn't say that to him. I just said yes.
And so every day we get out of the house
by six fifteen. I take him so that he can
run and keep his weight down and get to work
(34:00):
out in And what I have found is that it
has taught him so much. He gets up on his own.
I don't wake him up. He's ready in the rain,
he's ready in the dark, he's ready when it's cold.
He's out there doing this, and he has transformed and
learned so much about doing hard things even when you
(34:21):
don't feel like it, Even when he doesn't feel like it,
he's ready. And so I feel like he's learned that
lesson because I said, yes, I didn't complain. I was
just like, let's do it, We'll make it happen. And
I'm just I'm really grateful that he has learned those
lessons through this experience.
Speaker 1 (34:37):
Oh, that is a great story. I mean, it was
hard for you, as you say, we do hard things.
And the beauty of it is you didn't tell him
how hard it was for you, so to try to
make him feel badly about it.
Speaker 2 (34:48):
He had no idea. You were just ready to go. Yep,
that is nailing it.
Speaker 1 (34:53):
Yes, well, yes, great, great answers, And thank you again
so much, doctor Widard.
Speaker 2 (34:57):
I've been such a pleasure to have you here with
us today.
Speaker 3 (35:01):
Oh. I have enjoyed this so much. Thank you for
having me, Carol.
Speaker 1 (35:05):
I hope everyone listening enjoyed this conversation. That you'll come
back for more. Please subscribe, rate and review where you
find your podcasts, and tell your friends. For more parenting
info and advice, please check out the Ground Control Parenting
website at wwwgroundcontrolparenting dot com. You can also find us
on Facebook and Instagram at ground Control Parenting and on
LinkedIn under Carol Sutton Lewis. Until the next time, take
(35:29):
care and thanks for listening.
Hello, and welcome to Ground Control Parenting, a blog and
now a podcast creative for parents raising black and brown children.
I'm the creator and your host, Carol Sutton Lewis. In
this podcast series, I talk with some really interesting people
about the job and the joy of parenting. So you've
probably heard about the summer slide, that learning loss that
(00:25):
kids make experience over the summer, where they can lose
two to three months of progress in math and reading.
But what might surprise you is that by the time
a student reaches the fifth grade, all those summers of
learning loss can add up to a gap of two
to three full years. So as we wrap up another
school year, now is the perfect time to talk about
how we can help our kids stay sharp and avoid
(00:46):
that summer slide.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
And today we have the perfect guest to help us
do just that.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Doctor Cecily Woodard is a powerhouse educator with over twenty
years of experience making math fun, meaningful, and confidence boosting
for students. She spent much of her career teaching middle
school math in Tennessee, and she currently teaches high school
math in Springfield, Missouri. Outside of the classroom, she's a
nationally recognized of education leader, having served on advisory boards,
(01:12):
mentored future teachers, and help shape education policy. She's earned
lots of awards along the way, including the Presidential Award
for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching and the Tennessee.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Teacher of the Year.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
Doctor Widard holds degrees from the University of Memphis, Vanderbilt University,
and Lipscombe University. She currently serves on the NEA Foundation
Board and is a lead mathematics professor at Reach University's
Teachers College, which offers apprentice based bachelor's and master's degrees
for full time school employees. And Doctor Widard understands the
issue of summer slide as a teacher and as a parent,
(01:48):
as she and her husband, Ron are the proud parents
of two sons, Jonathan, who is eighteen and Joseph, who
is sixteen.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Welcome to Ground Control Parenting, Doctor Woodard.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Thank you, Carol, Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
I'm so happy to have you here talk about an
issue that ground Control Parenting has been focused on for
more than a decade, that threaded summer slide. I'd love
to have your help with how we can manage the
slide in ways it'll get our kids engaged and that
parents can manage.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
So let's get started.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
Absolutely, So first, can you.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Break down for us exactly what the summer slide is
and how it impacts students when they head back to school.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
So I think it's really important to start with the
fact that students learn so much during the school year.
They come in August or September and they spend you know,
nine to ten months gaining all of these new skills
in math, science, reading, social studies, and even their extracurricular activities.
(02:47):
And when summer hits and they stop practicing those skills,
they lose that learning that they have experienced throughout the
school year, especially shows up in reading and mathematics. And
there are things that we can do, though, to ensure
that students keep the learning that they have experienced throughout
(03:09):
the school year.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
So when they come back in the fall in August
or September, what do you see are they forgetting what
they learned and what kind of impact does it have?
And why is that a problem? I mean, is it
tough to reteach them?
Speaker 3 (03:23):
Yeah, it is really tough that the beginning of the
school year, it's evident what students have experienced. Good practice
in the summer, and then those students who haven't you
can see it because they have a hard time accessing
that prior knowledge. And often, especially in math class, skills
build on each other, and so as an algebra one teacher,
(03:45):
I really need the students to understand what they learned
in seventh grade math and eighth grade math so that
they can be prepared for algebra one and the skills
that they will experience there. Often, as teachers, we try to,
or effective teachers anyway, try really hard to ensure that
they are learning grade level standards while also making sure
(04:07):
that they remember those standards from previous years. But it's
definitely a challenge because we often have so many new
skills to cover that we really need students to come
in strong with those skills from previous grade levels.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
And we talk about losses in both math and reading.
But doesn't reading loss over the summer also kind of
hurt you in the math department. Isn't there a connection
between your reading skills and your math skills?
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (04:36):
Absolutely, I would definitely say that there's a connection. There is.
I often tell my students that learning math is like
learning a new language because there are so many words
that we are expecting students to understand and comprehend, and
often they are new words connected to learning mathematics. Also,
students are engaged in deep problem solving, and those problems
(04:59):
are often connected to their everyday lives. They are real
world problems, and we need students to be able to
decipher what's happening, what the question is asking them to do,
what information is being provided, and those are all reading skills.
Being able to even communicate about the mathematics that they're learning,
being able to write about it and to talk about it.
(05:23):
Those are all reading and literacy skills, and so yes,
reading absolutely impacts mathematics and other subjects as well.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
We've identified the problem and parents everywhere now they've heard this.
Nobody wants their child to fall behind. But what can
parents do to help keep their children's math and reading
skills sharp over the summer? And as you answer that,
my first question is, say you're sending your child to
a program for a few weeks during the summer where
there's academic skills being practiced. Is it's still necessary to
(05:57):
keep the skill sharp even after that program is over.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
Well, there are so many things that we can do
as parents. I think one place to start is before
school ends to ask your child's teacher how is my
child doing? But not just how is my child doing?
Is my child on grade level? Ask that teacher. Even
if there are no conferences in the spring, Even if
(06:23):
there's nothing scheduled like parent teacher conferences. Usually those are
over by now, But at the end of the year,
it's okay to send a quick email or to make
a quick phone call and say, hey, I just want
to check in and see what I can do with
my child this summer. Also, there are lots of resources
in the community to get kids engaged in reading and
(06:46):
in mathematics. For example, libraries often offer free programs to
encourage students to read more books, and that is a
great way to get kids engaged in reading. In terms
of math, I think of things that we can do
as parents that don't take a lot, like five or
ten minutes a day of math fact practicing using flash cards,
(07:10):
old school flash cards, or even new apps that are
out that can get kids really engaged in practicing those
facts and keeping those things fresh. Even things like cooking
with your child or going grocery shopping. Planning a budget,
thinking about how much money to spend on vacation and
how much to save. All of those things, even those
(07:31):
real world applications can get students involved in reading and
in mathematics throughout the summer.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
You know, I love all of those suggestions, and I'm
reminded that last season I had a great conversation with
Melody Hopson, who wrote a book about financial literacy for kids,
and we talked about how she grew up and her
mother would hand her the bill in a restaurant and
have her check the math on the bill and figure
out the tip, and it really helped her get focused
(08:00):
on money and how to spend it, but also doing
the math. And as you were talking about things you
can do when you're planning, budgeting and involving your kids,
it seems like they're simple things. If the family's out
for dinner and there's a bill, you can have your
children check it, or you can have them calculate what
the tip should be, or or I mean, there are
so many things at home where math is involved that
(08:23):
parents might not initially think to involve their children in
the calculations. But those are really really good suggestions. And
even if you are even if your child is going
off on an academic program, or you know, spending a
few weeks in a place where they are doing some.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Sort of learning.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
Is it still a good idea to continue this kind
of practice, the fun practice during the time that they're
with you.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
I think parents are a kid's first teacher, and so
when young people can learn from their parents, it really
sticks with them. I remember different things that I even
did with my parents that stick with me to this day.
I remember trying to memorize how many feet were in
(09:12):
a yard, and my mom was sitting there with me,
and she says, you know, there are three of you.
I had two younger sisters. There are three of you.
Think of three girls in the yard, there are three
feet in a yard. I can still remember this because
that was the analogy that my mom taught me. We
brought up, you know, going to a restaurant. I remember,
as a family of five, we used to go to
(09:34):
this restaurant that separated the ticket by person, and so,
just like you talked about, my dad would have us
to estimate how much was it going to cost based
on this receipt with all five of us, and so
all of those things are great ways to engage students
in thinking about mathematics with a parent, and that really
(09:56):
sticks with students because you know, parents love you like
none other, and they can help you to think about
things in ways that you remember and help you to connect.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
You're making me remember that when I be in the
grocery store with the kids, especially if we're having a
bigger shop, we'd all try to guess to mate what
the bill would be, like who is going to get
close to the bill?
Speaker 2 (10:20):
And it wasn't it wasn't hard math.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
It wasn't like we were looking at each thing and
looking at the pricing, but just the number of things
and what we thought things cost.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
And so while we're waiting for them.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
To ring it up, we're all like throwing in our
guesses to see who's going to get closest. So you
can make any kind of chore or any kind of
activity that where there's math involved, kind of a fun
family game.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Absolutely, even time thinking about how long it's going to
take to do something, or how long is it going
to take us to drive to this place, All of
those ideas are mathematically engaged, and students can think about
those and use their estimation skills even with their parents.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
So as a parent, I am listening to this and
I'm thinking, Okay, that sounds good.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
But the next question is how often do we need
to do this?
Speaker 1 (11:08):
I mean, how much time I should are we thinking
in terms of daily or weekly? How much time should
I as a parent want to make sure I get
in doing these kind of things to feel as if
my child's skills are staying sharp.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
So I think even fifteen to twenty minutes of daily
math practice would make a difference in the summer. I
think reading should be done every day, fifteen to thirty
minutes of reading a day, and you may find that
you have a child who really falls in love with
reading and will want to sit there even longer. I
wouldn't stop them. That is totally okay for them to
(11:47):
read for even longer, even I don't want to discount.
Like audio books or listening to books is still reading.
And so when I listen to an audiobook, I'm visualizing
what's happening, I'm visualizing the words, I can see the scenes.
All of those ideas build literacy skills in students. So
(12:11):
if a student says, or a child says, oh, I
don't you know, maybe they don't want to sit there
and read. You know, having them listen to an audiobook
is still reading. And so yeah, so short time, it
doesn't have to be a lot.
Speaker 2 (12:26):
That's good to know.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
And is that advice the same throughout the child's school life,
I mean, or does it need to increase more as
the child gets older?
Speaker 3 (12:37):
Yeah, I would say definitely as as students get older.
Children get older, they can handle more more time. But
in the early elementary and middle school years, when you're
building that confidence building, building them up, then even a
short amount of time of fifteen to twenty minutes on
math fax fifteen to twenty minutes a day reading really
(12:59):
does make a difference. I was recently shopping with my son.
We were shopping for a one year old's birthday gift,
and we decided to buy some books. And he reminded
me of all the times that we spent in the
evenings reading before he went to bed, and he said, Mom,
I remember falling asleep so many times listening to you
read to me. It was comforting, it was enjoyable. I
(13:23):
looked forward to it. And so I think that there's
so many benefits in terms of building students' reading skills.
But there's also this benefit of building a bond and
helping children feel loved and comfortable.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
I can remember at the end of every school year,
I would march my children to the bookstore and we
would buy summer workbooks. I knew them to be summer workbooks,
but they had some fun names to them.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
And this was all going to be our fund. We
were all going to do it together.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
I mean, there was a family activity that we'd spend
a few do a few pages, and in that instance
we could all work together. We could help each other
sort of solve problems. We do different problems of different levels,
and making it a game of sort or making it
something that was a family activity which generally wouldn't happen
(14:13):
during the school year, I think encouraged the kids to
really feel good about it. You know, it was time
spending time with the family. It was time time that
we would all sit down and put our thinking caps
on and try to solve the problems.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
Absolutely, that's so good.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
We'll be right back after these messages. Welcome back to
the show.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
Now, what about if you're a parent who really didn't
like math or reading or so, what if you don't
feel that confident with your own math skills. And I mean,
if you have a first or second grade or that's
one thing, but your child's now in the seventh grade
or the sixth grade and their math is pretty foreign
to you. How can parents overcome their own feelings of
(14:54):
math phobia if they have them, or if they don't
like reading, in order to encourage their children to keep working.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
So, I think the best advice I've given this instance
is be thoughtful about how you talk about math and
how you talk about reading. It's okay to have those feelings,
but we don't always have to tell our kids. You know,
it's okay to feel like, oh, this is not my favorite.
(15:21):
But what if we look at our children and we
see that they are enjoying math or that they have
some aptitude in mathematics, It's okay to build them up
and to say, you know what, you are doing really
well at this, or I see you working really hard
at this, or way to persevere this is great. We
(15:41):
don't always have to admit that we hate something because
we don't want our students, our children to take on
those same feelings, especially if they are seeing some success
at it. We want to build on that success and
encourage them to continue to work hard and to do
their absolute best. And if they do come and say,
you know what, mom, this is not my favorite dad,
(16:04):
I don't really like this class. It's okay to say,
you know, this may be hard, but you can do
hard things, and I believe in you and I know
you can be successful. So keep showing up and keep trying,
rather than admitting that you hate it too.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
So I think that's so right. You could if it
might not be so bad. If you admit that you
struggled with this kind of thing. You can say it
in the past, you struggled with.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
This kind of thing, and then maybe.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
Children love to see their parents a little vulnerable. I
mean in the sense that if you say, you know,
let's look at this together, because I had a hard
time with this too, Why don't you explain to me
what you're doing and tell me what you don't understand.
I mean, there can be unless it's really high level
mathematics and there's no way that you could pick it up.
I think if you show that it's okay to not
(16:57):
understand something at first and to work at it, and
then I mean, or you could say, look, I want
to learn this too.
Speaker 2 (17:03):
So let's learn it together.
Speaker 3 (17:06):
Yes, I think that's so good. I think one of
my favorite questions to ask students when they say, oh,
I'm confused or I don't understand, I don't get it,
I asked them, well, what do you know? Because they
all know something, what do you know about this problem?
What if you learned so far, what do you think
you know from the past that might help you with this?
And so those are all great questions that parents can
(17:28):
ask their children while they're working on problems that may
be even hard for them.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
Those are good questions. I'm reminded that, you know, parents,
for whatever reason, are find it easy to focus on
reading the importance of reading. And years ago, in another
podcast session with an educator, he was telling me that
you would never say about your child, oh, he's not
(17:54):
a reader. I mean, you wouldn't say that your child's
not a reader, and that would be the end of
the sentence. You would say, well, he's not reading so well,
but we're helping him with reading. But people feel more
comfortable saying oh, I'm not a math person. He's not
a math person, as if that's a sort of finite circumstance,
like you're not a math person and everyone should know
everyone can be a math person. I mean it's not it's.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
Just figuring out how to work with math.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
But it's funny that people are more easily able to
talk about their math phobia than they are reading.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
I mean, we should have they should be equal.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
You should be as concerned about having a child that
is as good in math as they are in reading.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
Because both of the skills are so important.
Speaker 3 (18:35):
So true of this reminds me of one of my
favorite math sayings is in order to be a math person,
all you have to do is do math and be
a person, which means that we can all be math people. Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
So you mentioned apps.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
Are there any online activities or do you recommend doing
online activities for math as part of the summer work.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
Yeah, there are some great online activities for math that
are adaptive, And what I mean by that is they
will give your child problems and see how they perform
on those problems, and then give them more problems at
that level, and then increase the level and increase the
level as they start to master them. Their programs like
(19:21):
Zern and con Academy and even Prodigy that do that
exactly that, And so I think that those that's the
best way to help to meet your child where they
are and then to help them build on those skills
over time. It's really powerful to see that in action,
and it's pretty exciting now with the technology that we
(19:44):
have that as parents, you know, you can give them
fifteen to twenty minutes of time on the screen and
it feels like playing a game. It feels like they're
really engaged and they're learning, They're learning new skills along
the way.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
Yes, I was thinking about con Academy and though those
are in fact, I will make sure to put in
the episode notes for this episode some of the different
resources that parents can with your help, some of the
different resources that parents can turn to. Because I'm a
huge fan of con Academy for everyone, but I love
the way that they do have this adaptive learning so
(20:20):
everyone feels as if they're progressing in a fun way.
I'm wondering about parents, and again this might be hearkening
back to their own feelings, but being a little concerned
about having to keep their kids in summer school. I
mean to feel like this is kind of a burden
for their children. Should parents begin the summer with a
conversation with their children about how were we going to
(20:41):
keep your skills sharp? Or do you think it's necessary
to let them know this or is it okay to
just incorporate it without telling the children Why I mean,
I guess I'm asking because some parents may feel like,
I don't want to make my kid do summer school
if they don't have to.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
I think learning shows up in lots of different ways.
It doesn't necessarily have to be summer school in the
sense of what school feels like. There's so many different
ways that students can learn, and I think it's really
important when supporting summer learning to build on what you
already know about your child's learning and career pathways that
(21:22):
they may be interested in. Even as early as middle school,
it's not too early to start thinking about and talking
about and asking those questions, what do you think you
might want to do? What are you interested in? Let's
see if we can find some camps or some activities
around this idea that you are interested in right now,
whether it's drama or STEM. Maybe they really like science
(21:47):
class and there's a STEM camp that they can attend,
Or maybe they really enjoy playing their musical instrument and
there's a music camp that they can attend. All of
that helps with their cognitive skills and keeps them fresh
over the summer. And so I don't think that learning
has to be you know, traditional summer school. I think
(22:10):
that it should definitely be based on what students and
children are interested in. And so that means that parents
need to ask and be really in tune with building
on what they know about their child's learning and about
their child's career choices.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
And for the benef of the parents who might be
tempted to go overboard, how important is it to balance
any kind of academic activity with some creative things or
sort of playtime during the summer.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
Yes, children need to move, they need to move, they
need to get out, they need to play. All of
that helps with their cognitive development as well. And so
and that play doesn't have to be structured. It can
be ooh, me and let's meet a friend at the
park for a play date. And in that they are
learning social emotional skills, They're learning how to interact with
(23:03):
each other. It can be you know, them going outside
to play with the neighborhood kids and starting a game
of pickup basketball or kickball in the backyard. It can
be so many things, but they definitely need to move
and summer is the perfect time to do that. It
can be a trip to the pool, it can be
swimming lessons. We all need to know how to swim.
(23:25):
Our children need to be able to do that. And
so there's so many ways that we can engage students
in learning that doesn't have to be traditional summer school.
Speaker 2 (23:35):
That's great.
Speaker 1 (23:35):
And just to follow up on that, how do you
know if you're overdoing it? I mean, imagine if you've
got your child at a desk for half the day
or more than half the day, or if they're showing
some times of stress. I mean, what do we have
to look out for to make sure we're not overdoing it.
Speaker 3 (23:52):
I love that this generation of children is so in
tune with their mental health. They will let you know
when this mom, this is too much, Dad, I just
I want to take a nap, or I need a break,
or let's go outside and play. I believe that and
I have seen it even in my high school students. Now,
(24:13):
they are all about taking care of themselves and taking
care of their mental health. They know when they need
to just breathe, and they are able to vocalize that. Now,
my students even talk about their experiences in therapy and
(24:33):
how they're seeing therapists, and before that was something that
people did not discuss. And so I just believe that
we have to pay attention. We have to pay attention
to our children and really listen to how they're feeling.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
I think that is really important. I agree that children
now are much more in touch with their feelings.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
They're much more vocal about them.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
And parents who either are dealing with the younger children
and they've had older children or parents that are just
fairly strongly recalling how they grew up, maybe a little
less comfortable or less trusting of this process where you
know your child tells you how they feel, and your
first instinct might be to say, okay, well that's interesting,
but I don't. I mean, that's not going to impact
(25:17):
me because I know best. I know there's that parents
can want to hold on to that. But from what
you're saying, it's so true we really have to sort
of put that aside and listen to our children. This
has been a really there's been a big awakening of
what's necessary for mental health, as you said, and it's
(25:37):
really important that we try to if we have to
retrain ourselves as parents to trust a little bit more
in our children's ability to voice their feelings and for
the feelings to matter to us.
Speaker 2 (25:50):
I mean it's a thin line.
Speaker 1 (25:53):
I mean your child will often tell you that they
don't want to do something, or they don't feel ready
to do something, and you think, you know, perhaps they're
just trying to avoid it. But you have to know
your child, but you really do have to listen to
them and give them the benefit of the doubt.
Speaker 3 (26:06):
Yeah. Absolutely, Yeah, No.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
It's hard to do, but so much of parenting is practice,
and so we have to practice this.
Speaker 3 (26:16):
Yes, we definitely don't always get it right, but practice
helps a lot.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
So now, how do we know if it's working.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
Are we just confident in the process that if we
do this informal the sort of maths skills and reading,
that they'll be good or are there any things that
we should be doing more in alignment with the school
to make sure that they're ready.
Speaker 3 (26:38):
So I will say that that often school districts have
different summer programs that are a little bit different from
summer school. They are really connected to student interests and
they are connected to even summer tutoring and programs and classes,
and if parents have access to things like that, to
(27:02):
programs like that, I would imagine that some of those
programs would be able to do sort of pre assessments
and post assessments, and I would definitely encourage parents that
if they have the resources and access to them, then
they should definitely do those I think if we are
on our own, I think that you will be able
(27:23):
to see a difference in your child with some consistency
and with some just being focused on doing this in
a consistent basis, doing that daily practice, that daily reading.
I think that they will be different going into the
school year than they would be if you hadn't done it,
(27:44):
and you'll be able to see a difference. They'll be
more confident, they'll show up at school more ready, and
they will you'll notice it once they get back to
school and they are performing so well in the classroom.
I think that's test right there. That's the key.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
And you know, just circling back to something you said
at the very beginning, before the school year ends, if
you can have a conversation with the teacher about sort
of how your child is learning and where their weaknesses are,
and their strength. You might also ask if there are
any booklists that the school gives for the summer. They
may sometimes they give summer reading, sometimes they give summer activities,
and depending on the grade of your child and your
(28:25):
child's eagerness to do this, they may not bring it
to your attention.
Speaker 2 (28:28):
But if you can start the summer knowing.
Speaker 1 (28:30):
That there are five books that the school has recommended
that your child read, it helps to set the schedule
for the summer. You can encourage your child to do
the things the school has asked for, particularly if they
say it's optional, maybe don't treat it as optional. Maybe
encourage your child to take it seriously. So yes, here's
(28:51):
my last question for you, doctor Woodard. If there was
one thing that you would want parents to take away
from this conversation about summer learning, what would it be.
What's what's the biggest the most important message here for parents?
Speaker 3 (29:04):
I would say, start early and be consistent, and connect
the summer learning to things that they are interested in.
Start early, be consistent, connected to something they're interested in,
and involve their teacher from the year before. Make sure
you have that conversation at the end of the year.
(29:26):
Know where your student is and then even get some
advice from their teacher about how they can work in
the summer and make it fun, make it interesting, and
connect it to things that they are really interested in,
and make sure that you are consistent with it. Even
just a few minutes a day makes a big difference.
Speaker 1 (29:48):
That is such great advice, words of wisdom that all
parents should definitely live by. So I'm going to wrap
it up here, doctor Witdard.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
First I want to say thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (29:57):
It's been a great conversation to really use with lots
of really good advice, and as I knew it would be,
I'm sure parents really appreciate your advice on how they
can help their kids avoid summers slide. So it's one
more thing before we go, and that is you have
to play the GCP Lightning Round. Okay, I'm ready, Okay, good,
(30:18):
four quick questions. Okay, here we go. Okay, what's your
favorite poem or saying?
Speaker 3 (30:23):
I would take a line from Amanda Gorham's poem The
Hell We Climb for there is always light, if only
we're brave enough to see it, if only we're brave
enough to be it.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
Love that really love that?
Speaker 1 (30:38):
Okay, name your favorite two children's books, and they can
be books you grew up with or books that your
children grew up here and you read.
Speaker 3 (30:45):
So one of my favorites is it's not really a
young children's book, it's more like a preteen book. Ghost
by Jason Reynolds. I was trying to convince my two
sons to and so we would, even once they got
into reading chapter books, we'd read like a chapter a
night together. And Ghost was a lot of fun and
(31:08):
evoked a lot of emotions in my pre teenagers.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
Cool.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
Yes. And then for myself, I think Charlotte's Web was
the book that convinced me that reading was the way
to go.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
No, that is a great one, and it stood the
test of time.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
It is yesterday always a favorite.
Speaker 1 (31:26):
Okay, So give me a mom moment that you would
love to do over. And I do not mean that
you loved it so much you would do it again.
I mean one that you would love to have a
do over for.
Speaker 3 (31:39):
Well, we used to go to this grocery store that
served meals about once a week. When my kids were
in boy Scouts. We didn't have time to go home
to cook, so we needed a hot meal for dinner
before going to boy Scout meetings, and we'd go there
and they had this gelato stand at the front, and
(32:00):
every time we'd go, my oldest son would want gelatto,
and every time I'd say no. And finally one day
I said, Okay, Jonathan, today's the day we're gonna get
gelatto and we will go in and the gelato counter
is closed. Oh it's closed because they are renovating the store,
and he was disappointed. I felt so bad because I
(32:22):
had been saying no all this time, and this was
the day we're gonna do it. And really that moment
was not about the gelatto. It was really about the
fact that sometimes as parents we get so busy, we
get so into we got to do everything right. No,
you can't have dessert before dinner, and all of these things,
when really I could have said yes. I could have
said yes to the gelato every now and then, and
(32:45):
there are other moments where I probably should have just
said yes and played a little longer, swam a little longer.
Speaker 2 (32:51):
You know.
Speaker 3 (32:52):
But but yeah, now that you are certainly not alone,
I mean that that is a good one, and want
to do over.
Speaker 2 (33:00):
But I understand perfectly.
Speaker 1 (33:01):
We've all been there where in retrospect, we could have
been a little easier, but we just get caught up
in the ways that we are being.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
So now tell me a moment.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
You nailed it as a mom, and I'm sure there
are many more of those.
Speaker 3 (33:17):
Yes, we've had some good moments. My youngest son is
a wrestler, and a few months ago, back in October,
he asked if we ride to school together. So I'm
a teacher. He's a student at the same school where
we go, and so I bring him to school with
me every day. And so a few months ago he says, Mom,
I would love to get to school at six fifteen
(33:37):
in the morning to run with the Crosswick country team.
I really want to keep my weight down. I want
to do this every morning and run with them. And
I thought about it for a moment in my head,
I was like, oh, this is going to be very inconvenient.
But I didn't say that to him. I just said yes.
And so every day we get out of the house
by six fifteen. I take him so that he can
run and keep his weight down and get to work
(34:00):
out in And what I have found is that it
has taught him so much. He gets up on his own.
I don't wake him up. He's ready in the rain,
he's ready in the dark, he's ready when it's cold.
He's out there doing this, and he has transformed and
learned so much about doing hard things even when you
(34:21):
don't feel like it, Even when he doesn't feel like it,
he's ready. And so I feel like he's learned that
lesson because I said, yes, I didn't complain. I was
just like, let's do it, We'll make it happen. And
I'm just I'm really grateful that he has learned those
lessons through this experience.
Speaker 1 (34:37):
Oh, that is a great story. I mean, it was
hard for you, as you say, we do hard things.
And the beauty of it is you didn't tell him
how hard it was for you, so to try to
make him feel badly about it.
Speaker 2 (34:48):
He had no idea. You were just ready to go. Yep,
that is nailing it.
Speaker 1 (34:53):
Yes, well, yes, great, great answers, And thank you again
so much, doctor Widard.
Speaker 2 (34:57):
I've been such a pleasure to have you here with
us today.
Speaker 3 (35:01):
Oh. I have enjoyed this so much. Thank you for
having me, Carol.
Speaker 1 (35:05):
I hope everyone listening enjoyed this conversation. That you'll come
back for more. Please subscribe, rate and review where you
find your podcasts, and tell your friends. For more parenting
info and advice, please check out the Ground Control Parenting
website at wwwgroundcontrolparenting dot com. You can also find us
on Facebook and Instagram at ground Control Parenting and on
LinkedIn under Carol Sutton Lewis. Until the next time, take
(35:29):
care and thanks for listening.
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