Use It or Lose It

Many students experience a decline in academic skills and knowledge over the summer known as the summer slide. Research shows that children who do not read over the summer can lose up to three months of literacy development. 

What Can We Do?

5-Book Strategy

Reading 5 books over the summer can help to improve reading skills and prevent a loss of skills over the summer. 

• Make reading part of the daily routine.

  • Set a goal to read for 20-30 minutes each day.

  •  Set a specific time for reading, like after lunch, or before bed. 

  • Take a weekly trip to the local library.

  • Enjoy the book together using Echo Reading, Partner Reading, or Choral Reading.

    • Echo Reading - a fluent reader reads a short section of the text, then the student reads (echoes) the same section.

    • Partner Reading - Readers take turns reading a section of text with the listener reading along silently. 

    • Choral Reading - Readers read a section of text together with the more fluent reader setting the pace and reading tricky words. 

• Encourage students to talk about and write about what they are reading. 

Summer Learning Activities Can be Fun

• Write in a daily journal

• Write letters to friends and family

• Draw a picture and write a story to go with it

• Practice spelling by writing words with sidewalk chalk

• Label things around the house with post it notes.

• Play board games as a family.