Summer Slide

Summer Slide

Summer Slide
Fact or Fiction?
If your kid struggles with reading then chances are the ugly subject of summer school has been discussed. Do you need extended school year services?
The hard answer is hell yes. Your kid needs some form of practice over the summer to avoid the summer slide.
Summer slide is a well researched and documented idea. After months of school and school work, being off for the summer is bad for struggling readers. It is true.
But all summer programs are not created equal.
If your kid has a reading problem like dyslexia, then spending 4 hours Monday through Thursday in summer school may not be the answer.
Think quality, not quantity.
I’d trade a couple of hours of intensive tutoring by a highly trained reading professional for most summer schools I have seen.
If your kid hates reading and hates school I’d trade this type of summer school for an experience they would love.
At some point when kids struggle to read you need to switch over to developing passion. Finding that spark or flame can ignite motivation to read and learn. Start to work on developing strengths rather than just harping on weaknesses.
I’d trade Ninja Camp, a ton of books about Ninjas, and high-quality tutoring for a summer school that my kid hated and thought was boring.
Disclaimer-this post is written from the heart of a parent. I planned on tutoring my son myself and sending him to triathlon camp before COVid changed our plans this summer.
So bottom line, as a teacher I recommended something to stop summer slide. As a parent, I recommended choosing wisely. If your kid starts to truly hate reading and loses motivation then it is a life long battle.