Sandy Garrett
EDMOND — Experience Oklahoma this summer!
With summer vacation in full swing for students, many children are sure it’s time for all play and no work. Summer is time for more play, to be sure, but some of that play and leisure time can and should be educational.
Significant learning loss occurs over summer vacation and research suggests the loss is even greater for children from low income households who may have limited access to reading materials and enrichment activities. Summertime “brain drain” forces teachers to spend considerable time each fall on review, when they could be learning new lessons.
With free or low-cost activities, families can limit or prevent learning loss in fun, educational ways. Here are a few ideas that you can use:
• With 11 ecoregions or terrains Oklahoma is widely considered as having the most diverse terrain in the nation which includes everything from the Central Great Plains to the Arbuckle Mountains and the Tallgrass Prairie to the Ozark Forest.
• There are 200 man-made lakes and more shoreline than the Atlantic and Gulf coasts combined!
• Fifty state parks and four national parks provide lots of room to roam, along with wildlife to watch and recreational trails to follow.
• Local history, natural history, American Indian and western heritage are among the many specialty museums allowing families to watch history come alive up close.
• Military sites and many historic homes, ranches and mansions also have been proudly preserved so future generations can experience the past. In addition, hundreds of historical markers can be found in nearly every county around our state.
• Oklahoma’s thriving arts environment feature festivals and live music in communities throughout the year.
• Art gallery exhibits and community theatre productions also can be found all across the state.
These are just a few of the many educational and fun activities for families available in Oklahoma. Two personal favorites are the Jasmine Moran Children’s Museum in Seminole and the State Capitol in Oklahoma City.
Whatever you do, wherever you go — make it a safe, fun and educational summer!
SANDY GARRETT is state superintendent of public instruction.
