Education Summer Slide Prevention
SummerSlide2018
United Way works to combat Summer Reading Loss
This summer, United Way is working hard to minimize the loss of learning that occurs when young minds sit idle. Summer reading loss is very real. Studies show that children can lose one to three months of learning over the summer. Many parents are not even aware of the negative impact of summer learning loss.
To combat the ‘summer slide’, United Way has launched two programs to help kids over the summer – United Way’s Feed and Read program which provided nutrition, mentoring, and free books to low income children during the summer school break and a summer learning loss awareness campaign targeting all elementary school children in Brevard.
Summer Reading Loss Awareness Campaign
Brevard Public Schools and United Way also teamed up on an initiative to promote the importance of reading over the summer. This summer marks the 9th year United Way of Brevard has partnered with Brevard Public Schools to launch an aggressive awareness campaign to help parents understand the devastating effects of summer learning loss. The first priority was to ensure parents, especially those of elementary aged school children, understand why it is so critical to keep kids reading over the summer. The second goal, which was just as important, was to keep kids reading over the summer.
Campaign elements included awareness postcard delivered to all VPK – 5th grade students that include simple activities to keep kids interested in reading as well as tips and resources for helping kids become readers. Plus we’ve added an incentive to help encourage reading over the summer. Kids at Brevard Public Schools who read the required number of books and turn in results to their school will earn a reading party.
Online Reading Tools
StartWithABook.org
Start with a Book is the new Summer Reading support for parents provided by Reading Rockets.
ReadToMeIntl.org
Read to Me International provides a list of recommended titles for reading aloud.
ChildrensLibrary.org
This is an international digital library with books from around the world.
OneMoreStory.com
Numerous award winning books that may be read online with or without audio support.BN.com/summerreading
Scholastic.com/summer
Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge highlights great summer reads.
StorylineOnline.net
Screen Actors Guild provides selected audio books read online by celebrities.
Scholastic.com/parents
Scholastic provides book lists for a wide variety of interests and genres.
RIF.org/literacy-central
Reading is Fundamental website provides online audio books and many other resources.
StoryNory.com
StoryNory provides free online audio books.
FloridaStudents.org
Florida Students is a site that provides free educational resources for learning.
Why our work on reducing the Summer Slide is so important:
To succeed in school and life, children and young adults need ongoing opportunities to learn and practice essential skills. This is especially true during the summer months.
According to Reading is Fundamental, low-income children and youth experience greater summer learning losses than their higher-income peers. On average, middle-income students experience slight gains in reading performance over the summer months. Low-income students experience an average summer learning loss in reading achievement of more than 2 months.
Summer learning loss contributes to the achievement gap in reading performance between lower- and higher-income children and youth. Research demonstrates that while student achievement for both middle- and lower-income students improves at similar rates during the school year, low-income students experience cumulative summer learning losses over the elementary school grades.
