To Prevent the Summer Slide... READ!
By Krista Miller
Assistant Superintendent of Findlay City Schools
Summer is a celebrated time for children as their days are filled with sunshine, swimming, catching lightning bugs, and picnics. Summer, for teachers, is a time they worry about their students experiencing what is known as the “summer slide.”
Once children leave the classrooms, teachers feel a sense of loss and no longer have the ability to further educate their students. The absence of this direct contact causes students’ learning to backslide, resulting in a step-back in children’s mastery of skills. But--fear not! There is a simple way to avoid giant losses as a result of the summer slide--READ-READ-READ!
The importance of reading knows no boundaries. Reading is critical at all ages and beneficial to all skill levels. If a child does nothing else academically this summer—make sure they spend some time dedicated to reading.
Reading unlocks a world of opportunity! Academically, reading builds vocabulary, confidence, and serves as a foundation to all other subjects. Reading, however, does even more. It allows us to explore distant worlds, become time travelers, slay dragons, and morph into characters we could never imagine without the magic of a book.
However, some children, especially our reluctant readers, do not see reading as a fun summer activity. Don’t give up! There are numerous and creative ways to navigate the fun of summer with a focus on reading. The most obvious way to include reading during the hazy lazy days of summer is to grab a book and read--but that’s not the only way to enjoy reading while improving skills!
Baking with your child will foster reading and critical thinking skills. When following a recipe you are not only reading, but you just scooped up some math skills! Begin a journal documenting the fun things you are doing each day.
Magazines and comic books tap into a child’s interest which will make reading less of a “chore” for those reluctant readers.
Choosing books below their reading level is also a great idea! This fosters success and is a GREAT way to build their reading fluency!
If getting your child to read still becomes stressful, pick a book out together and simply read to them! There are countless benefits to your child’s reading skills by listening to someone read to them. As you read take a pause now and then to ask some questions: What do you think that character is thinking? What do you think happens next? What would you do if you were this character? These questions keep them engaged and help them think more critically.
Summer should be a time that children just get to be children! BUT….it is also important for them to maintain what they have learned to dive into the next school year prepared! Reading is the perfect solution to providing summer fun as well as keeping their minds challenged and avoiding the summer slide.
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