The term “summer slide” can be a scary and alliterative term. Summer slide refers to the observable tendency in students to lose some of the progress they’ve made over the course of the previous school year during their three months of summer vacation. Like shooting a basketball, painting with watercolors, or learning to swim; studying is a skill that needs practice. It’s quite normal that taking three months off may cause some slippage!

There are ways to avoid the summer slide before summer break, but those sometimes fall to the wayside. Furthermore, some students (especially those with diagnosed learning differences) are more prone to lose the progress they’ve made academically the year before. Here are some ways to combat the summer slide once the school year begins again.

• Read

Reading is the most important way your child can combat the summer slide. Children who read consistently and read aloud not only improve their reading comprehension skills but also improve in other cognitive areas as well. Reading engages the parts of their brain associated with memory development, learning, and problem-solving which benefits them in other subjects besides reading. Moreover, reading allows children to be imaginative, creative, and explore concepts outside of what they know. This helps them practice empathy and to sympathize with others who have experienced differently from their own. To help cultivate this, guide your children towards books that feature characters of other backgrounds, races, ethnicities, and religions. For a list of example books, check out our Fall Reading List.

• Remember the Fun

Battling the summer slide is imperative but it doesn’t have to feel like life or death. As mentioned above, the summer slide is a very common phenomenon and the majority of students suffer from it to some degree. However, if the student feels anxious about their amount of slippage, it can balloon into something larger and can create stress throughout the home. To try and avoid possible stress, find activities that are light and fun to do with your child. When tackling math, try cooking and learning about the measurements in the recipe or counting out candy with a sweet reward at the end. When reading has your child draw what they predict will happen in the story next or repeat what you read in a silly voice. Young students are much more likely to respond if they are engaged and having fun in the lesson.

• Have a Team

It may seem overwhelming to ask you to add reading time to your child’s busy schedule on top of homework and school. However, it doesn’t have to be all on you! Here at The Ladder Method, we have an excellent team of elementary reading comprehension tutors who are adept at wading through the summer slide and setting children up for success. Having a different voice and presence than a parent can have a positive effect on children. Here is more information on our team and the types of tutoring we offer.

The summer slide doesn’t have to be the end of the world. By carving out time to do engaging and creative remediation with your child, you can not only beat the slide but get your child ahead as well.

Sources:

Colorado Department of Education