6 Resources to Help Stop the Summer Slide

Reposted with permission from blog.texthelp.com

This week marks the halfway point of summer break for many students in the US. While much of the last few weeks have hopefully been spent near a pool or maybe even on vacation, it is important to make sure what’s left of summer isn’t spent without a few good books in hand to help prevent the “summer slide”.

Girl sliding down water slide

The summer slide is the term used to describe the learning loss that typically occurs over the 2+ months that students are out of school over the summer. According to the National Summer Learning Association, “A strong body of evidence supports the conclusion that summer learning loss affects nearly all young people. The types and amounts of losses vary, but overall, the research consistently shows that summer learning loss is real and results in long-term, life-altering consequences.”

To help reduce this year’s slide, we’ve identified the 6 resources below that you can share with parents, students, or your own children this summer:

  1. Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge– The Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge is a free online reading program for children. Simply create an account, start reading, and log your minutes. Many schools are partnering with Scholastic’s program to encourage summer reading for students. My 6 year old daughter actually participates in the program through her school. It is so easy to use that she signs herself in via the Scholastic iPhone app when she begins reading, starts the timer, then stops it when finished. Her time is then automatically logged.
  2. TD Bank Summer Reading Program – TD Bank’s Summer Reading Program is a great way to encourage K-5 students to both read and save money. Students read 10 books, fill out the form on TD Bank’s website, then take to a local TD Bank to receive $10 in a new or existing Young Saver Account.
  3. Barnes and Noble Imagination’s Destination – This reading program encourages children to read and record 8 books in a reading journal, then receive one free book from Barnes and Noble.
  4. New York Times Summer Reading Contest – This contest is for students age 13 – 19. To enter, simply answer the question “What interested you the most in The Times this week?” Students can base their answer off any topic from any article, video or other resource from the New York Times published in 2014. Winners will be acknowledged and publish on the New York Times Blog.
  5. ReadingRockets.org Summer Reading Loss Information – This article helps to explain how summer loss affects reading achievement, why it occurs, and several ideas and resources to help prevent it.
  6. PBS Summer Reading Camp – For those wanting to do more than just read, PBS Summer Reading Adventures provide activities for each week of the summer that involve reading, making crafts and more. To access all of the resources you will need to create an account, but it’s free.

Bonus Amazon’s summer reading books for kids provides lists of summer reading picks for children based on age, editor’s picks, deals and more. I’m calling this a bonus resource because in order to take advantage you will need access to a Kindle, and while some books are free or discounted most will need to be purchased.

Hopefully these resources will help to jump start summer reading for your students. What other resources have you found that can help stop the summer slide?

Jason Carroll

Jason first learned of Assistive Technology while working on his undergraduate degree where much of his spare time was spent assisting a regional education centre with basic technology needs. Amazed at how this technology could benefit so many students (particularly those he grew up with) he was hooked and immediately became an expert at the centre. After receiving his Masters, Jason returned to the coop to serve as a full time Assistive Technology Consultant serving over 200 schools in the central Kentucky Region. Since this time, Jason has trained thousands on Assistive Technology and Universal Design for Learning concepts throughout the United States and beyond. His focus is on integrating research based practices into the work he does and helping others ensure that what they are doing works. He specialises in assisting people to bridge the gap between operation of technology and actual implementation. Jason is a published author, has taught Instructional Technology and Universal Design for Learning at the University level, and spends a significant amount of time on e-Learning and blended learning initiatives. He is a graduate of the Assistive Technology Applications Certificate Program (ATACP) from California State University at Northridge and holds a Masters in Business Administration. Currently Jason serves as Product Marketing Manager for North America at Texthelp Inc. where he oversees new product launches and speaks nationally on a variety of Assistive Technology topics.