Summer is around the corner and that means school will be out soon! What does that mean for the work we do as literacy councils and the students we serve? It means it’s time to break out the sunblock and do our part to combat the Summer Slide.
What is the Summer Slide?
The Summer Slide is a term that was coined to describe the growing concern over the potential loss of skills children face over the summer break, particularly with math and reading skills.
What does Summer Slide have to do with Adult Learning and ESL?
The family that learns together, grows together! Many of our students have children or are part of extended families with children. By engaging our students and their whole family we are building a strong foundation not just to cement our students’ skills but also their whole families knowledge and skills! We are empowering our students to become advocates for their children’s education and literacy.
How can I help?
Use the discussion of the Summer Slide as a possible lesson for a future session with your students. Let them know about the resources available online and locally through the library. Many libraries have summer programs for families and reading programs for kids of all ages. Encouraging students to read to their children is a way to combat the Summer Slide and help students work on their own goals and literacy!
Online Resources
Here are some links to different ideas and resources to share with students and their families to help stop the Summer Slide!
Literacy Now:
Summer Slide Parent Resources
AR Kids Read:
Summer Program
Mayo Clinic Health Systems:
PBS Learning Media:
https://kera.pbslearningmedia.org/
