One year, I looped with my first grade students and had them again as second graders. As I was doing one of my beginning of the year testing, I noticed that one of my students was significantly lower than when I had tested her in May. I asked her "Did you read this summer?" She told me "No, I had fun this summer!" *sob*
The reason she had gone back so far was due to what educators call "Summer Slide." Summer slide refers to the learning loss that occurs during the summer break, where students can lose some of the academic progress they made during the school year.
There is no reason why a student cannot have fun while also avoiding summer learning loss! Here are five recommendations to help your student avoid the summer slide::
Read daily: Throughout the summer, encourage students to read for pleasure. Library programs, book clubs, and reading challenges can help with this. Reading daily helps maintain and develop literacy skills. Studies show that students that read daily during the summer actually increase their reading level!
Practice math: Summer slide can affect math skills as well. Students can maintain their skills by incorporating math into everyday activities like cooking, shopping, and even when they travel.
Enroll in summer programs: Many schools, community centers, and libraries offer summer programs in academics, sports, and the arts. Many of these programs are even free! Enrolling in these programs can help students in keeping up their reading and math knowledge, learning new skills, spending time with their friends, and keeping their routine.
Use educational apps: Educational apps and games can provide fun ways for students to practice skills and stay engaged with learning during the summer months. Something as simple as an online journal (or handwritten) helps students to maintain everything they have learned!
Encourage curiosity: Summer is a great time for students to explore their interests and hobbies. Encourage students to learn about topics of interest to them. If your student loves dinosaurs, go to the library and check out books about them! Look for museums that have exhibits about dinosaurs. Show them something new! Teach them how to grow a garden, or learn to hike or something fun outdoors. These kinds of activities can develop a love of learning that will last a lifetime!
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