How to Help Your Child Avoid the Summer Slide
Every year as summer approaches, parents and teachers across the country start worrying about the summer slide . It is believed that the phenomenon of some students regressing academically for several months after school is more likely to affect young children and children from low-income families. And that has already become a problem after good, normal school years without a pandemic.
No one is really sure what will happen to an entire generation of kids who just had arguably the hardest and most ineffective school year of their lives. But it’s safe to say that those who are usually at risk of losing their summer schooling are at even greater risk this year. These children – more precisely, all children – will almost certainly benefit from a little schooling over the summer. Here are some ideas to help them learn, depending on what’s available in your area.
Sign up for a real summer school
No child I have ever met would appreciate the combination of the words summer and school. However, after a year of distance learning, they may come up with this idea faster than you think. Summer school programs that are offered in public school districts (and may also be available to charter and private school students within the district) often include a combination of academic lessons and extracurricular activities. They can not only give children the opportunity to learn academic skills, but also provide them with a long-awaited opportunity to connect with their peers in person.
And as reported by the Washington Post , many counties are expanding their summer school programs to be available to all students right now, simply because of the sheer number of children struggling during the pandemic:
“Traditionally, summer school has been a program for kids who were bad at school to try to catch up. It will be different this year because now it applies to everyone, ”said Daniel A. Domenech, executive director of the American Association of School Administrators.
High school students who need to attend a summer session to earn missing points at graduation will still be able to do so. But many districts, Domenech said, are also targeting elementary school students who need extra help keeping up with their peers and students with special needs who have been unable to receive the personal training they needed during the pandemic.
Your district’s website likely has information about your local summer school program and details on how to register, but you can also ask your principal about this. You should also talk with your child’s teacher for their views on whether they find it necessary or helpful for them to attend.
Continue your child’s education (or create a new one)
When we realized that the school would be mostly (if not completely) virtual this school year, many families decided to create small “ learning modules ” so their children could interact and learn in person with a small group and in a safer environment. If so, one easy way to keep them interested throughout the summer without sticking to the full summer school schedule is to have the group continue to meet regularly.
My 10 year old child did this throughout the pandemic with a group of three or four other children. It’s part learning and part play for a few hours a week, and even though all the kids now go back to school four days a week, we still get them together on weekends.
If the summer training capsule is right for you, here are some tips to get you started .
Let the children read in the summer
If you are no longer in academic pursuits this summer, one of the best activities you can get them to focus on is reading. Reading is likely to become a priority for them if you offer fun incentives, so the summer reading program at your local library is a good place to start. Scholastic also runs a virtual summer reading program offering free stories, games, and virtual rewards.
Do you know what else motivates kids to read? Pizza, that’s what. Pizza Hut again invites your beloved to BOOK! A program in which preschoolers through sixth grade can read books to earn free certificates, one-topped personalized pizza.
If none of this grabs their attention, here are some more tips on how to create your own summer reading at home program .