Summer Slide Prevention
It’s the end of another school year, and as students get
ready for fun and relaxation, many educators across the nation are worried about one thing—the summer slide. The summer slide occurs every June when students leave school hallways behind and, in doing so, say goodbye to daily educational learning. These summer months frequently lead to a loss of achievement gains made from that school year.
According to the Harvard Graduate School of Education, “On average, students lose approximately 2.6 months of learning in math over the summer.” In addition, students tend to lose two months of reading achievement.
Parents often complain about summer because it is the most difficult time to keep their children busy. Teachers are also concerned about children suffering from the “summer slide.” That’s the tendency for kids to forget reading and other skills they learned in school during the summer. Children can lose a whole grade-level’s worth of skills in the summer, requiring them to put in extra time in the fall to catch up with their peers at school.
What can you, as parents, do to prevent the summer slide? Keep your children engaged in learning. Try getting them involved in educational programs and activities during the summer months Here are some things you can do to prevent your children from experiencing the summer slide.
• Have your kids make a summer reading pledge. Scholastic summer reading challenge is a program that allows them to track their reading.
Make reading a family value. Read aloud, pick genres your children are passionate about, get them hooked on series books, count on the classics, find books about things that spark their interest. Funny is fine, and yes, comics are OK. Graphic novels are among the hottest trends in children’s publishing, and they can get kids hooked on reading. Make time to read. It can’t be said enough; if your child does nothing else this summer make sure he is reading! Take them to Barnes and Noble or the library to find books that interest them. Then if they prefer to read it on a digital device so be it.
• Plant a garden. Your child will gain responsibility and pride as they watch their plants grow and thrive.
• Take a field trip. Head out to a museum, zoo or local park with walking trails.
• Have fun in the kitchen: Summer is the perfect time to whip out the chef’s hat, apron and all those measuring cups! Cooking is an excellent learning activity, because it builds up so many different learning skills. You read the recipe, measure out the ingredients, and pick up techniques all based on science (e.g., why would dropping an egg from the fridge straight into boiling water make it crack open?).
• Learn a new word each week. Hang it on the fridge and see who can use it the most times throughout the week. Wordgenius.com helps expand your vocabulary with a word of the day, fun trivia questions, and insightful articles about language sent straight to your inbox!
• Enroll in a quality summer program that will provide your child with opportunities to build their critical thinking skills.
• Play quick games with flashcards like Math War or Concentration to keep math skills sharp. Enjoy classic games too like Scrabble and Monopoly that can build up your kids’ math and problem-solving skills. Have your child be the banker, and be patient as they figure out how much cash to collect from players, how much change to give back, etc. Get kids to read out loud the instructions on the Chance and Community Chest cards, and the rules of what to do if someone lands on your property. Scrabble incentivizes them to learn new words and improve their spelling, sharpening cognitive skills as they string words together with a limited set of letters.
• Listen to audio books during your summer road trip.
• Keep a journal about your travels or even everyday experiences. Encourage kids to make videos, take photos, and write stories about their summer. Use digital tools to collect videos, photos, stories, and more in electronic journals. This keeps their minds active and engaged. Encourage your children to write narratives to accompany the pictures.
• Have fun in the kitchen: Summer is the perfect time to whip out the chef’s hat, apron and all those measuring cups! Cooking is an excellent learning activity, because it builds up so many different learning skills. You read the recipe, measure out the ingredients, and pick up techniques all based on science (e.g., why would dropping an egg from the fridge straight into boiling water make it crack open?).
• Watch quality shows: Most of you are experiencing this, but another way to keep kids engaged is by watching movies together. Students can benefit from experiences that expand their knowledge—not just of math or science but of the world around them. Visit commonsensemedia.org to find valuable age-appropriate TV and movie content.
• Ask your children’s school about any summer programs that they offer. Most schools have a suggested summer reading list.
• Look into your local youth-serving organizations such as Boys/Girls Club, your local Parks & Rec, and area YMCA to see if they offer any free summer programs.
• Explore your local library’s summer programs. Your local library may offer a wide range of programs from reading to teaching kids about other topics like using computers or bike and swimming safety.
• Contact your local museums and parks and recreation departments to find out about their free or low-cost summer programs for kids.
• Look into your local TV or radio station or post office, to see if they offer free or low-cost tours.
• Identify a local organization that provides short-term volunteer opportunities for the whole family.
Digital Learning Solutions
As today’s technology continues to advance, kids can still be students once the bell for summer vacation rings. Digital learning programs, especially games, allow kids to practice their math and reading skills during the summer. These games provide students visual connections between conceptual ideas and the game they are playing. Apps, games, and websites offer lots of unique learning opportunities for kids—from DIY building projects to learning a new language. Computer programming apps and sites can teach kids everything from problem-solving to thinking and logic. They also encourage kids to become creators and not simply consumers of tech. Teaching everything from simple commands to complex programs, coding apps and websites come in a range of formats designed for different ages and abilities.
While many parents are concerned about excessive screen-time use, research shows that focused five-to-15 minutes playing games, just a couple times a week, can make a big positive difference for kids.
Math
Math in particular takes a hit during the summer, as many daily activities don’t necessarily focus on math. Here are a few different free math programs educators can suggest for their students to keep their math skills over the summer:
• MetaMetrics: It challenges your child to take the Summer math challenge. You’ll get daily emails with fun math activities and resources.
• Math Blaster: An online hub with an outer space-based theme that integrates math problems with games for Pre-K through sixth grade.
• Cignition: This is an online virtual world to help students understand math conceptually with problems that adapt to the student’s pace. Free for teachers and their classes—teachers must give their students a class code.
• Coolmath-Games: Described as the “brain-training site” for students to use logic and thinking in combination with fun and games.
Reading
Reading is easier than math for parents to incorporate into daily summer activities. But it still needs to be a part of every child’s summer.
Seek out the fun stuff like graphic novels, mysteries or fan fiction. Anything that captures a child’s interest is beneficial.
Parents may find that some kids get more excited about reading books on a digital device. It’s always cheaper than buying books and many can be had for free.
Additionally, there are digital games that students can play to keep their reading skills sharp during the summer. A few options include:
• PBS Reading Games: Games featuring PBS kid show characters help students improve literacy.
• Funbrain: Free educational games created for kids grades Pre-K through eight to help develop reading, problem-solving, and literacy skills. They also offer a selection of free online books.
• (App) World’s Worst Pet Vocabulary: In this game the player must lead Snargg, a trouble-making alien, back home by identifying synonyms, antonyms, and definitions.
• ABCya!: A one-stop site which offers free, educational games based on grade level to help students work on reading, math, and strategy skills.
Get creative to give your children fun learning experiences during the summer. You’ll find making small efforts now will yield big benefits for them in the future. #
For more information from Common Sense Media visit commonsense.org.