It’s in the 90s, pools and parks are crowded and summer is in full swing.  We’re catching fireflies at our house and learning how to brake on our bike, with a whole lot of library visits and math practice thrown in.  When kids are out of school, two things are likely to happen.  They are likely to turn to media MORE than when they are in school, and they are likely to lose learning gains made in the previous year of school – especially in reading.

While summer may be considered a “slump” for learning and kids, WQED is sharing tips and tricks, as well as new resources, to help Pittsburgh area families ensure that summer is a time of EXTRA-ordinary learning – both indoors and out. The station is using social media and its e-newsletter as vehicles for online engagement with families around the summer learning theme, using the hashtags #iqsmartsummer and #iqsmartparent. WQED complements this strategy on-air with the PBS KIDS “Double the Fun Double Learning” summer schedule, and in the community with special summer learning activities and community partnerships, like Super WHY at the Y, Super WHY summer reading camps; inquire within, a new collaboration between WQED and neighborhood libraries, and smart.squared summer camps, new summer camps at Winchester Thurston School based on PBS KIDS shows. Learn more.