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CNN Sunday Morning

Back to School: Ahead of the Game

Aired August 31, 2003 - 07:45   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: It's back to school time. For many students heading back to the classroom after a long summer vacation can be stressful, to say the least.
But for some, hitting the books again won't be so hard.

CNN's Kathleen Koch shows us why.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Don't call it summer school, but summer learning. Not remedial, but optional for kids who want to get a head start on the school year.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So what's his mother doing?

KOCH: This program in Baltimore combines classroom sessions with educational field trips.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Actually designed to occur over the summer learning loss. So the kids come to us during the summer, five days a week as they would a normal school day, and we do math, we do reading.

KOCH: In Manassas, Virginia, Alicia and Sean Rufus' summer assignments come courtesy of their parents.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Little bit concerned about the fact that summers tend to be sitting in front of the TV all day long, or playing Game Cube or playing video games.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They absorb so much. They're like sponges. And if you give them the large breaks, they -- those sponges dry out.

KOCH: So the daily regimen includes 20 minutes of reading, 20 minutes of writing. Then there's math and typing.

The kids who also have time to play don't seem to mind.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love writing. And writing is one of my hobbies. And I hope to be an author when I grow up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I learned how to write better and how to read better.

KOCH: Experts say without such activities, children lose critical knowledge over the long lazy days of summer. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Things that are, you know, that are likely to be forgotten include spelling, math computation.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sometimes I fall asleep beside her. The sound of her work, a lullaby.

KOCH: So as long as programs or parents mix fun with summer learning, kids seem to be eager participants.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because you do fun stuff. You do science, reading...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can learn different things every day.

KOCH: Progress that gives children an edge over their classmates when the school year begins for real.

Kathleen Koch, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired August 31, 2003 - 07:45   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: It's back to school time. For many students heading back to the classroom after a long summer vacation can be stressful, to say the least.
But for some, hitting the books again won't be so hard.

CNN's Kathleen Koch shows us why.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Don't call it summer school, but summer learning. Not remedial, but optional for kids who want to get a head start on the school year.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So what's his mother doing?

KOCH: This program in Baltimore combines classroom sessions with educational field trips.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Actually designed to occur over the summer learning loss. So the kids come to us during the summer, five days a week as they would a normal school day, and we do math, we do reading.

KOCH: In Manassas, Virginia, Alicia and Sean Rufus' summer assignments come courtesy of their parents.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Little bit concerned about the fact that summers tend to be sitting in front of the TV all day long, or playing Game Cube or playing video games.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They absorb so much. They're like sponges. And if you give them the large breaks, they -- those sponges dry out.

KOCH: So the daily regimen includes 20 minutes of reading, 20 minutes of writing. Then there's math and typing.

The kids who also have time to play don't seem to mind.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love writing. And writing is one of my hobbies. And I hope to be an author when I grow up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I learned how to write better and how to read better.

KOCH: Experts say without such activities, children lose critical knowledge over the long lazy days of summer. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Things that are, you know, that are likely to be forgotten include spelling, math computation.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sometimes I fall asleep beside her. The sound of her work, a lullaby.

KOCH: So as long as programs or parents mix fun with summer learning, kids seem to be eager participants.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because you do fun stuff. You do science, reading...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can learn different things every day.

KOCH: Progress that gives children an edge over their classmates when the school year begins for real.

Kathleen Koch, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com