It’s no secret that the United States is losing ground in educational rankings. With budget cuts, many schools are faced with tough dictions to cut programming, especially in music and arts. Yet, there are many things parents can do to help their children gain a pivotal edge when it comes to education.

The truth is the hours and days your children are not in school are just as important for learning as when they’re sitting in their desks. For starters, pack up the car and head to the zoo. James Mills, director of Conservation Education for the Zoological Society of Milwaukee said classes offered at the zoo teach skill development and socialization as well as provide classroom readiness for pre-school children, and they offer confidence building and motivation for older children who get to share their animal knowledge and receive praise amongst a group of children who enthusiastically want to learn about wildlife.

“Classes are written to be developmentally appropriate, so participants get some of what they need out of each class they attend,” he said. Because animal life and nature is so fascinating, the kids have so much fun that they may not realize they’re in an “education” program.”

In addition to school-focused programs, the Zoological Society offers extensive enrichment programming for individual children ages two-14 throughout the year. Similar to an actual classroom, Mills said the younger the child, the more basic the information.

“It’s amazing how much information even two year olds retain from our classes,” he said.

“Parents express amazement at how their children talk about the class experiences weeks later and how the kids look forward to the next class they can take. And the really big kids - the parents and grandparents – often report that they learn interesting things. They personally enjoy the classes beyond the thrills they get attending with a young child.”

Slather cheese on a big portion of broccoli and your child just might forget there is something of real substance below it…same theory can work for educational experiences.

“We teach to the child first by focusing on developmentally appropriate content and activities,” Mills said. “In our preschool programs, the science is almost secondary to skill development and socialization goals. The fact that these developmental experiences take place in the fun, exciting and, therefore, memorable context of the zoo and its live animals gives our classes significant and positive impact.”

Mills said parents have said the structure of the early childhood classes prepared their children very well for a transition to formal schooling.

“We like to think our classes help those who take them from year to year develop an appreciation for life in all its forms, but also develop a big picture perspective at an early age,” he said. “The presence and proximity of the zoo’s live animals makes the learning experience salient and the content less abstract and more concrete.”

For older children, the education staff comes up with engaging learning activities such as art activities that require observations of animals or other things that are highly experiential, Mills said.

“For many classes, we set up ‘habitats’ in the classroom, so that the children can act as the animal they are learning about,” he said. “Our classes also provide children the opportunity to share and be proud about animal information they’ve gained through previous life experiences.”

Although Mills said enrichment programming for children older than 14 is not offered, 15-18 year-old high school students can apply to volunteer for two weeks or more at the summer camps. “They work alongside college interns who conduct zoo tours and games,” he said. “As volunteers, they get exposed to a lot of animal information, but they also learn quite a bit about informal education, teamwork and group management along the way.”

More of a traditionalist, or roaring for more opportunities?

It seems like a no-brainer but take your child to the library. Judy Becker, a children’s librarian at the Delafield Public Library said the offerings at the library are extensive such as Preschool Storytimes; Grade School Book Club; Teen Book Club; Printz Award Book Club; Adult Book Club; Read To a Therapy Dog program; CD's, DVD's, toys, books, computer software and audio books on everything from phonics, languages and sign words to signing, alphabets and numbers.

“We offer daytime and evening educational programs for individuals and families,” she said. “This just scratches the surface of the education offerings our library has to offer.”

Becker said although the offerings of the library are important, parents need to set the example by reading in front of their children. “Set aside a time for the whole family to read together,” she said. “Read to and with your children every day, regardless of their age.”

Becker said parents should also limit their daily use of, and reliance on, the Internet, games and T.V. “They only offer a slanted version of the truth, depending on who is paying for their existence,” she said. “Seek the facts from as many unrelated sources, including books, as you can.”

This doesn’t mean that technology can be a bad thing. With the rise of E-books and tablet devices, Becker said families are more connected to reading more than ever before. “Access to materials has become more user friendly and easily attainable.”

For more information on these educational opportunities please visit http://www.zoosociety.org/education or www.delafieldlibrary.org