EDUCATION
By Bob Spano, Vice President of Programs, Guadalupe Center
Tips for Avoiding the Summer Slide
A
rea students will have one of their shortest summer vacations on record – eight weeks for Collier County Public Schools and just seven weeks for Lee County Schools. Children may grumble a bit, but the short break isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Educators often lament the “summer slide,” a term referencing the academic slip students experience when they don’t challenge their brains on a daily basis. It’s like athletes who skip training for several months. Their bodies, just like students’ brains, need time to get back into shape. That’s why teachers spend so much time in August reviewing the prior year’s lessons. Less than two months isn’t much time off, but it’s still long enough to slip academically. Most parents aren’t credentialed educators, but they can partner with teachers to exercise their children’s brains and maintain their academic momentum. Below are five ways parents of elementary and middle school students can help their children avoid the “summer slide.” • Explore in-person summer camps. Last year, summer camps were few and far between. In 2021, though, children can choose camps ranging from performing arts and visual arts to sports, religious, environmental, and academic. For a comprehensive listing, check out Neapolitan Family’s 2021 summer camp directory at https://neafamily.com. • Check out virtual summer camps. Because of the pandemic, children now have access to more virtual learning opportunities than ever before. National parks, zoos, aquariums, and museums around the country have created engaging online curricula that feature hands-on activities that children can complete at home. • Block off learning time. School schedules are regimented because students learn best when there is structure. Make time for learning by blocking off specific times on the calendar or assigning educational tasks before and after mealtimes. • Read for fun. During the school year, students read a lot
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– textbooks, workbooks, handouts, and storybooks, almost all of which require a test or quiz at the end. Take children to the library to pick out books they want to read, ignoring the topic, reading level, or number of possible AR points. • Bridge workbooks. Big box retailers sell workbooks designed to sharpen students’ skills in reading, math, science, and other subjects. Assign a worksheet or two daily so children can continue practicing their newly learned skills while preparing for the next school year. Parents whose children are preschool age can focus on three core areas: • Reading. Even before children can comprehend what they are reading, they begin to recognize sight words like “and,” “the,” and “it.” Mastering these core words increases their fluency and comprehension. Reading aloud to children daily helps them develop their language and listening skills while also stimulating their imagination. Older preschool students also can read to their parents. • Math. Many preschool students aren’t quite ready for pencil and paper worksheets, but they can perform hands-on math tasks like counting food items and coins, reading numbers on a street sign, and calculating time on a clock. These activities might take only a few seconds, but they ultimately will help keep a child’s mind sharp. • Art. Drawing, coloring, and painting are terrific ways for children to tap into their creativity. Save each piece of artwork and ask children to assemble an end-of-summer scrapbook containing all of their best work. Aug. 10 – the first day of class for public school students in Collier and Lee counties – will arrive in the blink of an eye. Parents can help prepare their children by treating summer like athletes treat the preseason; stay in shape, practice, and be ready to go full speed from day one. NEAPOLITANfamily • June 2021