ORANGEBURG COUNTY, S.C. — Orangeburg County First Steps says keeping your child engaged in their education over winter break has its benefits. There are simple things parents can do each day to make learning a fun, hands-on experience.
“We do want to exercise a little rest and relaxation but we want our children to still read on a daily basis, be involved in math and literacy around the house so they don’t increase the learning gap while they’re out of school and out of the normal routine," said executive director Kathy Jenkins.
She says parents can make learning fun this holiday season with activities like baking where children can help measure ingredients.
“We wanna make those little moments count and take advantage of all those opportunities to engage our young ones to make it fun and learning and sing out loud just live out loud," said Jenkins, "It’s great for our social-emotional well being. It’s great for adults too."
A free winter reading program being offered in Holly Hill is doing just that. There are 10 grade school students being sponsored by the Holly Hill NAACP who are working on their reading comprehension skills at the Holly Hill library twice a week.
Jenkins says even small steps taken could make a big difference in a child's learning.
“We just wanna remind parents that parenting is a very complicated task but with simple solutions we can all manage it and please give yourself a little grace, especially during the holiday season. Everything doesn’t have to be perfect to be memorable. But spend that quality time with your family," she said.