Educational experiences - like museum visits, camps, trips to the zoo, art classes, etc. - aren't just fun. They provide children with something vital - background knowledge. Background knowledge provides children the foundation to understand what they read and study. So what we've been providing youth this summer - visits from zoo animals, the Steelworks Museum, art programs, mini-camps, and more - has been vital to their future success. (In addition to being just plain fun.) For more info, read the following article: http://www.readingrockets.org/article/use-summer-fun-build-background-knowledge
