School Is Out For Summer
By Elizabeth Wenk, June 19, 2015
Across the country, kids (and parents!) are celebrating the end of the school year. Summer is a time to wind down, vacation with family and friends, go to the pool, play outside. It is a much needed break. But should it be a break from learning? No. The so-called “summer slide” is real. Some students typically lose two to three months in reading achievement and two months of math skills during the summer. We need to keep our kids happy, healthy and learning, even out of school.
If the kids are home, parents and caregivers can help by taking them to the library, having them keep a reading journal, reading every day, volunteering and being active. If they are older, use the time to start talking with them about careers and jobs they might be interested in. In my house, we are already working our way through math packets and the local library reading program. Is this enough? I don’t know.
What I do know is summer learning programs can also play a key role to inspire learning, provide academically enriching activities, keep kids safe and healthy and support working families. According to the Afterschool Alliance, in my home state of Maryland, almost 70 percent of parents agree that summer activities that help their children maintain academic skills and learn new things are important. And 81 percent of Maryland parents support public funding for summer programs.
Our children are our future. There is nothing that is more important than their health and education. We need to provide them with every opportunity to be successful in life. Today is National Summer Learning Day. Talk to your kids about the goals they want to set for themselves this summer. Look into summer learning programs. Ask your policymakers to support these programs as a way to boost academic achievement.
