Q: Our city wants to add an academic component to our summer recreation program because many of our elementary students have weak test scores. School, civic and city representatives are meeting to create the program. We disagree on what the focus should be. Some want science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) activities; others reading or arts or field trips. What will provide the most bang for our buck?

A: Focus on reading. STEM subjects, the arts and history are all important, but children can't master or enjoy them until they read on grade level.

Studies by the Annie E. Casey Foundation show that nearly 70 percent of our nation's children, and more than 80 percent of children from low-income families, are not proficient readers by the end of third grade.

These alarming numbers "have dire consequences for those children, their families and communities," says Darlene Kostrub, former chief executive officer of the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County (Fla.). "Reading proficiently by the end of third grade is a critically important marker in a child's educational development."

There's a saying in education circles: "In the first three grades, children learn to read. In fourth grade, they read to learn," says Kostrub. "In the fourth grade, students encounter more sophisticated science, math and social studies texts and if they can't read them, they fall behind very quickly in every subject. Research shows that children who struggle with reading in the fourth grade are more likely to drop out of high school. Of course, that affects their lifetime earning potential."

Of the many initiatives designed to improve early reading, one that Kostrub says has the potential to make a strong impact is the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading and its affiliated Campaign for Grade-Level Reading Network. Launched in 2011, the campaign is a collaboration of funders, nonprofit groups, schools and communities, including civic and business leaders.

"The network recognizes that schools alone can't make up for missed learning opportunities in a child's early years," says Kostrub. "The entire community must engage on three fronts: close the school readiness gap at home, increase school attendance and prevent summer learning loss.

"Attendance data show that one in 10 children miss more than a month of school annually in the primary grades when reading is a key part of the curriculum. We know that many children lose ground in reading over the summer months. The campaign helps communities focus on these areas."

More than 140 cities, counties and towns have joined the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading Network. The network provides best practices in school readiness, attendance and summer learning, plus technical expertise in promoting and funding the program locally.

"To launch our Palm Beach County program, we worked closely with the network and the local Children's Services Council," says Kostrub. "The campaign's senior consultant, Ron Fairchild (former CEO of the National Summer Learning Association), attended meetings with our mayors and other community leaders to explain why everyone needed to get involved."

Communities must apply to join the network. Applications for this year are due April 1. For more information, go to gradelevelreading.net, or email Ron Fairchild at ron@smarterlearninggroup.com.

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)

Q: We recently moved to Tennessee and got our kids into a good public school. The principal holds meetings on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and the tests children will take next year. Parents are afraid kids will do poorly. Some are considering switching to private schools so their children won't be stressed by the new curriculum and tests. How hard will they be?

A: That's not the right question. A better one is, "How can I help my children master CCSS material in elementary, middle and high school, so they can do well in college and prepare for a rewarding career?"

Last fall, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan made headlines when he said that opposition to the Common Core and related tests comes primarily from "white suburban moms" worrying about their kids' poor performance on the new exams.

"All of a sudden, their child isn't as brilliant as they thought they were and their school isn't quite as good as they thought they were, and that's pretty scary," he said.

Duncan may have chosen his words poorly, but "the evidence is all around us that many children, including those in the middle class, are not acquiring the skills they need to succeed in higher education and later obtain a living-wage job," says Bill Jackson, president of GreatSchools (greatschools.org), an organization that helps parents support their child's learning.

"So while the results of the new tests might be disconcerting, they will tell the truth to parents, students and teachers, so they know whether children are really on track," he adds.

"The United States has fallen from first to 10th in the number of students who graduate high school, and ranks 12th in the number of 24- to 36-year-olds with a college degree," Jackson notes. "The United States ranks 25th out of 34 top-performing countries in math, and 17th in science, two subjects important to most high-paying jobs. Nearly 3.5 million jobs in the United States go unfilled each year because there are not enough qualified candidates to fill them."

The CCSS -- crafted by thousands of parents, teachers, researchers, subject-area specialists, business, civic and policy leaders across the political spectrum -- should appeal to "anyone who thinks our kids might learn more than they've been learning and that the bar on our education expectations should be raised," says Chester E. Finn Jr., president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based education think tank.

There are two main assessment programs to help states monitor student progress on CCSS.

Tennessee is part of an 18-state consortium, the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC), which is developing a common set of K-12 assessments in English and math. PARCC assessments are being field-tested now and will be ready for the 2014-15 school year.

PARCC encourages parents and students to try the sample test items across all grades and to provide feedback. The sample items will not be scored. They are available at www.parcconline.org/computer-based-samples.

While a few states may create their own assessments, most others adopting the CCSS will use tests created by the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium. These will be field-tested from March 18 to June 6. For more information, go to www.smarterbalanced.org.

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)

Q: A January TV segment on National Mentoring Month got me thinking: I'd like to mentor young people. So many teens don't seem to know how to set and achieve goals. I don't have "social worker" skills, but I've started businesses and know how to help people develop their talents. Are there programs where I can make a positive contribution?

A: You bet. Many national and local organizations will welcome your experience and skills. Your local high schools may partner with these groups because of the benefits to students.

"Teens tell us that adult role models are important," says Stephen Wallace, director of the Center for Adolescent Research and Education (CARE) at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pa. "Studies clearly show that mentors can inspire a teen's educational achievement, shape careers, influence social and emotional well-being, and promote health and safety.

"Mentoring can improve relationships with parents and peers, reduce initiation of drug and alcohol use, and decrease incidents of youth violence," he adds. "The Search Institute finds that young people need at least three nonparent adult mentors in their lives to reach their full potential."

Before you jump in, ask yourself two questions, Wallace suggests.

One, how much time can you commit? "Effective mentoring requires getting to know your mentee and developing trust," says Wallace. "Good mentoring relationships often take a year to evolve."

If you don't have a lot of time, you can still support a youth mentoring organization through special events, strategic advice or fundraising.

Two, are you more effective as an informal or a formal mentor? "A formal mentor is part of an established program and abides by its guidelines," says Wallace. "Informal mentoring often evolves from friendships or situations where an adult sees an opportunity to help."

For example, high school guidance counselors often call on committed volunteers to informally coach first-generation college applicants through the complicated college search and applications process.

Others join formal mentoring programs, such as training to coach for Girls Inc. or for One Million Degrees, a Chicago organization that guides low-income, highly motivated community college students.

Chip Block, a retired Florida entrepreneur, has been both types. He is currently a formal mentor for Young Entrepreneurs Academy (yeausa.org). "Most programs have a structure," he says. "You have to decide if you can be effective within it."

There are many excellent programs looking for qualified adults with good sense and a good heart to volunteer, says Wallace.

They range from Oregon's ASPIRE (Access to Student Assistance Programs In Reach of Everyone), a program that matches adult mentors with students to develop their education goals beyond high school, to the Million Women Mentors (MWM) initiative, whose goal is to engage one million science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) mentors -- male and female -- to increase the interest of girls and young women in pursuing STEM degrees.

To find a mentoring program that's right for you, do a local search of school, college, community, business, service and faith-based organizations. Talk to volunteers involved with the programs to see if their roles appeal to you. For more information, go to serve.gov and mentoring.org.

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)