Rooted in Academics

April 2024
Stop the Summer Slide

Water slides are awesome. Summer slides, not so much. As the days get warmer and summer break beckons, I want to explore why this matters and share some simple steps that can keep your children climbing instead of diving. The ‘summer slide’ is loss of academic knowledge and skills which occur over the summer break, and it can be particularly pronounced in reading and math.

How steep is the dive? Unfortunately, it can be like one of those giant plunging waterslides. On average, research indicates that students lose about two months of reading skills and more than two and a half months of math skills during the summer break. Each fall our teachers find they must dedicate already limited instructional time to help students re-learn what they have forgotten.

As a parent, you can stop the summer slide. There are resources provided by the school and simple strategies and routines that can be put in place that can help. Here are some easy and specific things to consider:

Reading

• Create a routine by setting aside time each day for reading. Targeting as little as twenty minutes of reading each day, or one hundred minutes each week, can help students to maintain existing reading skills and stamina. A routine could include twenty minutes before bedtime, after breakfast, after dinner, or as a precursor before screen time.

• Expose your child to engaging books to read. You can access a wide array of literature at one of the many open Millard Public School libraries or through Omaha’s public libraries. As you select books, consider a blend of fiction and nonfiction.

• Model reading to your child. This could include something like reading at the same time as your child. If this is not possible, you could incorporate talking about what you have read or are reading with your child in conversation. When your child knows reading is important to you as a parent, it makes it more valuable and enjoyable to them as well.
  
  

Math

• Look for opportunities in daily activities to incorporate math. This could include activities such as hunting for the best deal while grocery shopping, determining how much something will cost after applying a coupon, or how much to tip at a restaurant. These everyday activities give context to the importance of learning math while concurrently practicing important basic mathematical skills.

• Use math games and applications as part of a daily routine. Our schools have resources for you such as IXL for elementary students and DreamBox for middle school students. These are great tools to use on a routine basis which will help to keep math knowledge and skills sharp.

• Look for opportunities to use math as part of play or family time. For example, there are many board games which incorporate money or probability that can be fun while also practicing important math skills. Two that we play in our home include Monopoly for Kids and Life.

The key to mitigating summer learning loss is consistency. Small amounts of daily practice can make a big difference - just fifteen to twenty minutes of reading and math practice a day can help your child stay at the top of the slide.

As parents, we play a crucial role in shaping our children’s attitudes towards learning. Modeling a love of reading and expressing a positive attitude towards math can have a profound difference on the attitude of your child.

The final few weeks of school are flying by! Keep a lookout for additional information from your school on resources and opportunities to keep your child engaged this summer. Thank you for being a part of Millard Public Schools. Your ongoing support and partnership in your child’s education make all the difference.

✉️ Email: MPSCommunicates@mpsomaha.org
🌐 Website: www.mpsomaha.org
📞Phone: 402.715-8200

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