We tend to think of summer as a vacation, comedian Jim Gaffigan once explained. Yet his experience as a dad of five had taught him that the summer break is actually “a three-month vacation for nobody but children.” And that’s no joking matter. Many parents feel stressed out as they wonder what to do with their children over the long, hot summer. Have they planned enough activities for the children? Will they be able to work with the children at home? Can they find child care if they don’t work at home? And how can they avoid the summer brain drain when kids so often lose much of what they’ve learned in the prior school year?
As a father of two, I’ve faced these questions. So, at this time of year, I think about some of the things I’ve done with my two daughters, starting when they were young. I always read to them, a habit I began when they were still in the womb. Now they’re both avid readers. So, I like to think that I opened up the world for them by sharing my love of literature and books. I also love singing, so we spent a lot of time singing and dancing together, which was always great fun for the girls and me.
Singing, as it turns out, is also a way to build literacy and avoid brain drain when school is out. Singing songs and using rhyming words introduce concepts like phonics and word recognition to young children. It helps them understand patterns of speech and see links between words, meaning and sounds, an important pre-reading skill called phonemic awareness. So, break out in song with your child whenever you can. And take advantage of other ways to engage your child by combining education with entertainment this summer.
Go on weekly visits to the library, where you’ll find tons of books for young learners, along with activities you can do for free. It’s also a chance to chat with the librarians, who can suggest ways to keep your children’s minds active all summer long. And of course, one of the best ways is to read books together every day. Choose interesting books that your child can follow along with and talk about the pictures in the stories you read.
You can also turn your conversations in the car into learning lessons for children, especially on field trips to new places. When you plan summertime travel, do a little research ahead of time. Once you’re on the road, show your children the route and teach a little geography while going to your destination.
And when you’re on the go, think about bringing some workbooks, instead of the same old coloring books, along. You can break them out at restaurants, while waiting for someone at swimming lessons or whenever you hear those dreaded words “I’m bored.”
That may be the time when parents rely more on video games, movies, technology and TV. And it’s hard not to, even with the best intentions. “Ninety percent of parenting is hiding iPads from your children,” as Gaffigan quipped. Like most parents, he’s seen how much children like their screen time. But you can make it more productive by introducing some educational apps, games and shows into the mix.
That’s what Ohio State University did when it offered a four-week virtual program to help preschoolers from low-income families get kindergarten ready. Teaching staff and leadership at the university’s College of Education came up with its Summer for Success program when the COVID lockdowns were still in place and parents didn’t have access to in-person preschool. Each of the 91 families that enrolled in the program received storybooks and a computer tablet preloaded with educational videos for parents to read and watch with their children.
The program also included one or two individualized teacher-child video chats each week and a video or phone meeting between the teacher and parents. In addition, parents received instructions on how to watch the videos and read the books with their children, including questions to ask before and after the lessons.
Most of the families finished the program and gave it high marks, according to Rebecca Dore, a senior researcher at Ohio State who measured the success of the program. “The most common comment we got from parents was that they wished the program was longer,” she said. And the children also gave a positive response, according to testing before and after the program. The results showed improvements on all measures, including social-emotional skills, counting, knowledge of the alphabet and the emerging ability to read.
The program was a response to the pandemic, but its promising results suggest it may be useful in other cases when children can’t come to school. And parents can use some of its methods in the summer months. Sure, summer should be a holiday for children. And “holidays,” as Gaffigan ruefully joked, “are an opportunity for children to unlearn every good habit they’ve learned during the rest of the year. They don’t go to school. They get to stay up past their bedtime.” And that’s part of the fun—at least for the kiddos. Still, the long, school break doesn’t have to be a complete loss when it comes to education. There are steps parents can take to make learning a blast and stop brain drain during the summer.
SPONSORED BLOG If you’re looking to boost your career and make a bigger impact in the lives of the little ones you teach, earning your Child Development Associate®(CDA) credential is a fantastic step forward. And...
As professionals dedicated to the advancement of early childhood education, we understand the critical role that a highly skilled and well-trained workforce plays in the development and success of young children. At the Council for...
The Council for Professional Recognition has long been a leader in quality in early childhood education, ensuring that educators meet the highest standards of competence and professionalism through the Child Development Associate® (CDA) credential. As...
The Council wants to give our early childhood teachers a chance to tell their stories. So does Usma Mohamed, the Council’s VP of Brand Experience and Marketing, and she conveys what they have to say...
SPONSORED BLOG As summer winds down and back-to-school season approaches, preschool teachers everywhere are gearing up for another exciting year of guiding littler learners! Amid the hustle and bustle of adorning bulletin boards with colorful...
What inspired you to launch the Reimagine project? Dr. Calvin E. Moore, Jr. (CM), Chief Executive Officer: I joined the Council when we were in the middle of the pandemic and needed to rebuild the...
Experts Speak Autism and Apraxia with Elizabeth Vosseller Early childhood educators play a critical role in the lives of young children and their families around the world. As the administrator of the Child Development Associate®...
National Children’s Day is a special occasion dedicated to celebrating the joys and innocence of childhood. For parents with young children under the age of 5, it’s an opportunity to spend quality time together, creating...
Before a child even steps into a classroom or child care center, their first lessons in life occur within the walls of their home. During their formative years, from birth to age five, children undergo...
Elisa Shepherd is the Vice President of Strategic Alliances at the Council, where she leads initiatives to advance the Council’s mission and strategic plan through designing, managing, and executing a comprehensive stakeholder relationship strategy.
With over 25 years of experience in early childhood education (ECE), Elisa has dedicated her career to developing impactful programs, professional development opportunities, and public policies that support working families, young children, and ECE staff. Before joining the Council, Elisa held numerous roles within the childcare industry. Most recently, she served as Associate Vice President at The Learning Experience and as Senior Manager at KinderCare Education, where she influenced government affairs and public policies across 40 states.
Elisa’s commitment to leadership is reflected in her external roles on the Early Care and Education Consortium Board of Directors, the Florida Chamber Foundation Board of Trustees, and as the DEI Caucus Leader for KinderCare Education. She has been recognized as an Emerging Leader in Early Childhood by Childcare Exchange’s Leadership Initiative.
Elisa earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a focus on child development from Pennsylvania State University in State College, PA.
Andrew Davis
Chief Operations Officer (COO)
Andrew Davis serves as Chief Operating Officer at the Council. In this role, Andrew oversees the Programs Division, which includes the following operational functions: credentialing, growth and business development, marketing and communications, public policy and advocacy, research, innovation, and customer relations.
Andrew has over 20 years of experience in the early care and education field. Most recently, Andrew served as Senior Vice President of Partnership and Engagement with Acelero Learning and Shine Early Learning, where he led the expansion of state and community-based partnerships to produce more equitable systems of service delivery, improved programmatic quality, and greater outcomes for communities, children and families. Prior to that, he served as Director of Early Learning at Follett School Solutions.
Andrew earned his MBA from the University of Baltimore and Towson University and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland – University College.
Janice Bigelow
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Jan Bigelow serves as Chief Financial Officer at the Council and has been with the organization since February of 2022.
Jan has more than 30 years in accounting and finance experience, including public accounting, for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. She has held management-level positions with BDO Seidman, Kiplinger Washington Editors, Pew Center for Global Climate Change, Communities In Schools, B’nai B’rith Youth Organization and American Humane. Since 2003, Jan has worked exclusively in the non-profit sector where she has been a passionate advocate in improving business operations in order to further the mission of her employers.
Jan holds a CPA from the State of Virginia and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lycoming College. She resides in Alexandria VA with her husband and dog.
Janie Payne
Vice President of People and Culture
Janie Payne is the Vice President of People and Culture for the Council for Professional Recognition. Janie is responsible for envisioning, developing, and executing initiatives that strategically manage talent and culture to align people strategies with the overarching business vision of the Council. Janie is responsible for driving organizational excellence through strategic talent practices, orchestrating workforce planning, talent acquisition, performance management as well as a myriad of other Human Resources Programs. She is accountable for driving effectiveness by shaping organizational structure for optimal efficiency. Janie oversees strategies that foster a healthy culture to include embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion into all aspects of the organization.
In Janie’s prior role, she was the Vice President of Administration at Equal Justice Works, where she was responsible for leading human resources, financial operations, facilities management, and information technology. She was also accountable for developing and implementing Equal Justice Works Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategy focused on attracting diverse, mission-oriented talent and creating an inclusive and equitable workplace environment. With more than fifteen years of private, federal, and not-for-profit experience, Janie is known for her intuitive skill in administration management, human resources management, designing and leading complex system change, diversity and inclusion, and social justice reform efforts.
Before joining Equal Justice Works, Janie was the Vice President of Human Resources and Chief Diversity Officer for Global Communities, where she was responsible for the design, implementation, and management of integrated HR and diversity strategies. Her work impacted employees in over twenty-two countries. She was responsible for the effective management of different cultural, legal, regulatory, and economic systems for both domestic and international employees. Prior to Global Communities, Janie enjoyed a ten-year career with the federal government. As a member of the Senior Executive Service, she held key strategic human resources positions with multiple cabinet-level agencies and served as an advisor and senior coach to leaders across the federal sector. In these roles, she received recognition from management, industry publications, peers, and staff for driving the creation and execution of programs that created an engaged and productive workforce.
Janie began her career with Verizon Communications (formerly Bell Atlantic), where she held numerous roles of increasing responsibility, where she directed a diversity program that resulted in significant improvement in diversity profile measures. Janie was also a faculty member for the company’s Black Managers Workshop, a training program designed to provide managers of color with the skills needed to overcome barriers to their success that were encountered because of race. She initiated a company-wide effort to establish team-based systems and structures to impact corporate bottom line results which was recognized by the Department of Labor. Janie was one of the first African American women to be featured on the cover of Human Resources Executive magazine.
Janie received her M.A. in Organization Development from American University. She holds numerous professional development certificates in Human Capital Management and Change Management, including a Diversity and Inclusion in Human Resources certificate from Cornell University. She completed the year-long Maryland Equity and Inclusion Leadership Program sponsored by The Schaefer Center for Public Policy and The Maryland Commission on Civil Rights. She is a trained mediator and Certified Professional Coach. She is a graduate of Leadership America, former board chair of the NTL Institute and currently co-steward of the organization’s social justice community of practice, and a member of The Society for Human Resource Management. Additionally, Janie is the Board Chairperson for the Special Education Citizens Advisory Council for Prince Georges County where she is active in developing partnerships that facilitate discussion between parents, families, educators, community leaders, and the PG County school administration to enhance services for students with disabilities which is her passion. She and her husband Randolph reside in Fort Washington Maryland.
CounciLINK is Your Connection
Read our monthly e-newsletter and keep up to date on all Council programs and services, as well as the latest news in the world of early care and education. Subscribe today to stay connected with us. You’ll receive timely information on events, webinars, special promotions, and more.