Summer Slide
By: Kimberly Stevens
Schools are going to be out for summer break; what are you doing this summer? What activities will your children be participating in? There are many more options this summer than last summer, but don’t make up for lost time by taking the summer off from tutoring or educational enrichment activities. If you have a child in tutoring, like the Barton Reading & Spelling Program or a similar math program, don’t let the learning stop over the summer. Check out this video from Susan Barton on the topic of summer tutoring. If your child is struggling with reading or math, the best time to get them the help they need is over the summer. The school year is exhausting for a child, but the summer is the perfect time to improve their reading or math skills, increase tutoring, and prevent the ‘summer slide’.
Children lose 2-3 months of reading and math skills over the summer. Historically, children who take the ‘summer off’ from tutoring spend 2 months in review just to catch up. Over the course of the year, that is only 7 months of progress. If you are currently tutoring, increase the tutoring duration or frequency over the summer, or move to daytime tutoring when your child is more alert and learns best. No tutoring or educational enrichment plans in reading or math over the summer? Contact Dyslexia Reading Connection to learn more. The gains your child will make over the summer will exceed your expectations; just let them prove it to you.