Earlier this month, NPR covered the phenomenon of “summer slide” – i.e., the loss of skills that students experience over the summer. The full transcript of the program can be found here:
Keeping Kids Intellectually Engaged During the Summer
An important highlight from the program:
…what research shows is that all kids, regardless of their income level of their family, experience over two months of setback in math computation skills during the elementary school grades, and low-income kids lose over two months of reading performance each and every summer of their elementary school years, while middle-income kids typically stagnate or experience a slight gain in reading performance.
C2 Education recommends the following to keep your kids on track:
- Purchase a few math workbooks and spend a little time each day reviewing math basics with your child. Sinapore Math and Spectrum Math are excellent (and inexpensive) series to use for review.
- Sign up for the summer reading program at your local library. This is totally free, and your child can earn prizes!
- Arrange some weekend outings to the zoo or to some museums. (Choose based on the age and interests of your child.)
But remember, don’t fill the entire day with academic activities. Allow time for fun as well!
(And if you would like more information on our formal summer tutoring programs, please call us at 703-467-2005.)