With summer right around the corner visions of kicking back on the river, eating summer foods, camping or a memorable road trip comes to mind.  How about packing a good book to take along as well?  A number of families have discovered the advantages of keeping the reading and learning going for their children over the summer.

Studies show that students who do not read over the summer experience a drop in skills referred to as, “summer slide” or “Achievement Gap.”  Students that consistently read over the summer not only avoid the summer slide but may also find they come back from the summer ahead of many of their peers.  Researchers from John Hopkins did some long-term research on this very issue.  They found that students from low and middle income groups have very different profiles when you look at their learning gains across the years.    By the end of 5^th grade, it can represent a several year difference in student performance.  The following video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Ahhj3wxxkdM describes this phenomena.  Research is clear in recognizing that this is not an achievement gap so much as an opportunity gap for students.

So what has been shown effective in preventing reading loss?  The answer is to ensure that our children have access to the books they want to read and that time is set aside on a regular basis to read.  There are many reading resources available on and off the internet.  Locally, the county library is a great place to check out a good book or two, and check with your school as some of local schools may have summer check-out hours for their library.  For more creative ideas on summer learning consult your child’s teacher and/or your school’s Title 1 or Reading Specialist Teacher.  Have a great summer, enjoy those yummy summer foods and don’t forget to take a good book along.