What Is "Summer Slide"?
Ahhhhh..... the lazy days of summer. After a grueling school year, students finally get to relax. Even parents breathe a sigh of relief to get a break from homework and the battles that sometimes accompany it. Breaks are hard-earned and necessary for rest and rejuvenation. However, we need to also make sure that our kids do not lose their skills over the summer. There is a scientifically proven phenomenon known by several names, including "Summer Slide," "Summer Learning Loss," and "Brain Drain." Over 100 years of research in this area finds students score lower on standardized tests at the end of the summer than at the beginning unless their summer is enriched with educational opportunities. Summer reading loss is one example, and, unfortunately, it is cumulative. Children don't typically make up for lost skills in the fall, as their classmates move on. By the end of 6th grade, children who have not participated in educatio