The summer slide is real folks! The Georgia Department of Education states that there is a significant reading loss that occurs for most children when they are not in a formal learning environment or not engaged in any form of educational activities during the summer. Students can have up to a 2-3 month loss in reading ability over summer and lower-income students may suffer most due to lack of books in the home and transportation access to public libraries. Rural area students also lack easy access.
When kids are out for the summer they tend to avoid anything related to reading! We fill out End of the Year slips that document their reading and math levels. We all know how it feels when we walk back into the classroom and our students are not where they left off. It’s a great idea to offer fun educational activities throughout the summer that are FREE.
We know that most parents aren’t trained literacy experts and most kids aren’t interested in sitting through structured summer classes! It ’s important for us to encourage parents to do the best they can to help their kids keep practicing the strategies they learned during the school year.
INTEGRATE THE PUBLIC LIBRARY
Partnering of schools and public libraries has great promise for solving the summer reading loss dilemma. Most public libraries will send a representative out to schools to discuss the summer reading program to get the students excited about summer reading.
CREATE A THEMATIC READING PLAN FOR STUDENTS TO COMPLETE
Create a reading plan with a theme. There are a few Read Around the World summer challenges’ going on this year. Have students pick a book that showcases a different culture or continent. Check out the blog_____. She has set up a Facebook page and the reading structure is set up by regions. You can offer a small token to students who complete the challenge and return the log the next school year.
COMBINE READING AND CRAFTING
Have students read a pre-determined book and create a craft that correlates with the book. Students could read the book Me on the Map then create their own map of their summer travels around the world, country, or neighborhood.
STUDENT MADE BOOKS
Give students the opportunity to create their own stories. You can collect them in the fall and have the students read to your current class. You can send home premade books created from handwriting paper with a construction paper cover. The Target dollar spot had pre-made books once upon a time. However, you know you have to purchase items in the Dollar Spot when you see them because they tend to sell out quickly without being reordered.
It's hard to keep up a reading routine in a season packed with distractions and diversions. These suggestions will fit into a families’ busy schedule and make reading fun!
What did you prepare for your students in order to combat the summer slide?
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