Tips to Combat the “Summer Slide” – Part 2

The summer season offers an ideal chance for families to relax and enjoy time together. It’s also a period when learning loss can occur due to students being away from the classroom. Read on for tips from Baltimore City Schools educators to prevent summer slide for your student.

Find additional tips and tools in Part 1 of this series.

Sheridan Pratt, third-grade math & science teacher at The Historic Cherry Hill Elementary/Middle School, urges parents to keep kids’ brains and bodies moving his summer:

• To help prevent the “summer slide,” keep children both physically and mentally active!
• Baltimore City Schools are offering a wide range of free summer learning opportunities, and Baltimore City Recreation & Parks has affordable programs at locations across the city. These resources are a great way to keep children learning, growing, and having fun all summer long.

Adrienne Canull, a pre-kindergarten teacher at Govans Elementary, emphasizes the importance of reading every day:

• Read with your child every day—and make time to talk about the book afterward.
• It doesn’t have to be long or formal. Just a few minutes of conversation about the story, pictures, or characters helps build vocabulary, comprehension, and a love of reading.
• Let your child take the lead, ask questions, and share their thoughts. These small moments can make a big difference!
• If your child wants to hear the same story over and over, think of ways to make it different each time, maybe thinking of a new ending, changing characters, or more.

Laya Theberge, a social studies teacher at Fallstaff Elementary/Middle School, believes that piquing kids’ curiosity is key to learning year-round.

• A huge part of becoming a strong reader—and staying one throughout life—is reading every day. Joining the Enoch Pratt Free Library’s summer reading program is a great summer activity for all members of the family!
• Preventing the “summer slide” is also about keeping kids’ minds engaged, curious, and creative all summer long. Involving children in everyday activities builds critical skills in natural, meaningful ways. For example, listening to audiobooks in the car, baking cookies while reading the recipe together (a fun way to sneak in some math), or visiting parks and practicing map-reading while hiking—these are all great ways to learn and bond.
• Other activities that can help encourage curiosity and learning include visiting your local Little Free Library, exploring neighborhood story trails, checking out museums, monuments, and visitor centers, and discovering National Parks and historical sites.

Looking for more tips on preventing the summer slide? Check out this blog post from the Baltimore Curriculum Project.

Photos courtesy of Baltimore City Public Schools