We Can Help Your Child to Avoid the “Summer Slide”

We are coming on the season most kids look forward to the most, summer break! While families have a jam-packed schedule of fun during the warmer months, there needs to be some consideration to the dreaded summer slide. We’re not talking “slip n slides,” we’re talking “the summer slide” – regression over the summer in critical math and reading comprehension. There are simple steps that can help you figure out how to minimize the loss of learning over summer for your children. At Firat Education, we can help your children stay on top of their math and reading skills without experiencing the “brain drain” of summer. Here are some facts to consider.

• Studies show that younger students lose less over the summer than older students.
• Students see a more significant academic slide in math than in reading.
• On average, a student loses two months of reading skills and two and a half months of math skills over summer.
• Researchers have found a link between the loss of reading skills and socioeconomic status.
• The loss through summer slide is cumulative, so the lost months add up over the years.
• Teachers can spend from 4-6 weeks refreshing and re-teaching math and reading material that students forget over the summer.

Here are some great tips to avoid summer slide:

All in the Family. Make learning a family activity, keep it fun. Parental involvement is a definite determinant of whether or not children read over the summer. There is less learning loss over the summer in families where parents are actively engaged in their children’s summer reading.

More is Better! Keep a wide variety of high-quality books on hand. You can stock up your home library from thrift stores very easily! Swap books over the summer with your kids’ friends. Ask your children for input on what they want to read so you can keep things fresh and interesting for them.

Look Both Ways. Try to match summer reading books and math problems with material from the previous school year to reinforce what they’ve already learned. Ask your school to provide reading lists and math workbooks that will give your kids a head start for the curriculum in the coming year.

Tutoring. If your child needs extra help in math, finding tutoring over the summer can be greatly helpful. Even just 4 weeks of math tutoring can make a world of difference. Also, play card games with your kids. They are great for keeping up math skills.

We’re here to do what your child’s school can’t do for them. We work around tricky schedules and dedicate as much time as you need. We are here to help you learn how to avoid summer learning loss for your children. Visit FiratEducation.com or call (713) 871-1048 to get started today!