Educators Warn of 'Summer Slide' With Children

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Educators Warn of 'Summer Slide' With Children

Schools, libraries help parents keep students' minds sharp during vacation.

Of course, the slide they are talking about has nothing to do with a waterpark.

It's the concept that children lose valuable educational ground while wiling

away the lazy days of summer vacation.

According to the National Association for Summer Learning, " A conservative

estimate of lost instructional time is approximately two months or roughly 22

percent of the school year. "

The report goes on to say, " It's common for teachers to spend at least a month

re-teaching material that students have forgotten over the summer. That month of

re-teaching eliminates a month that could have been spent on teaching new

information and skills. "

" It naturally occurs, " said Bigsby, the new principal of Lincoln School.

" But in this school district, we are lucky. The parents here have lots of

background knowledge to offer their children and they're involved. "

High schools and middle schools usually provide extensive summer assignments in

math and English. These are posted on the district websites.

There are also required assignments for fifth-graders at the Caldwell-West

Caldwell School District's Washington School and sixth-graders at North

Caldwell's Gould School. Other elementary school teachers and local librarians

are offering optional " summer challenges. "

" We are aware of the slide, " said Amy Moran, a youth services librarian at the

West Caldwell Library. " When we visited schools, we would always remind the kids

that it's really important to read over the summer, to keep your brain strong

and working that when you come back in September, you are ready to go. "

The West Caldwell Library offers a variety of summer reading activities for all

ages. Children are awarded raffle tickets for every hour that they read to be

used in a gift basket drawing at the end of the summer.

At the Caldwell Library, children's program director Deborah Khost is hosting

two books clubs, one for beginner readers and the other for middle schoolers, as

well as a bevy of other programs focused on science and English as a Second

Language (ESL).

" They definitely lose a step over the summer, particularly the beginner

readers, " Khost said. " That's why we started the beginner book club, so that

those who are just starting can practice. " The older book club is focused on

interpreting and discussing.

" Our philosophy is that if we have fun events that gets the kids more likely to

come in and then check out a book, " she said.

The Caldwell Library is also offering raffle prizes to the children who log the

most hours of reading.

Each of the libraries communicate with the local school districts to make sure

they are offering the books on required summer reading lists.

At Lincoln School, the teachers created a sheet full of optional reading and

writing activities, each with a point value.

Students earn 10 points for every 10 minutes of reading or having an adult read

to them; completing a Language Arts worksheet is worth two points; a book

report, 10.

There is also a Reading Response Bingo board that is worth more than 100 points,

with activities such as writing a rap about a book, writing a letter to the

author of a story and creating a picture version of a novel.

Vecchione, a resource room teacher at Lincoln School, said she

definitely sees a difference between students who participate in the program and

those who abstain.

" These are just a springboard, a set of ideas, " she said. " The students who

participate definitely come in more prepared, ready to go in September. "

Browsing through the North Caldwell School District website, only one individual

teacher's website, out of 65, lists a summer reading assignment.

In an upbeat letter, Gould School sixth-grade teacher Toni Arena informs

students that, " You are required to read (and, hopefully, enjoy) at least two

novels this summer. All of us will read either the realistic fiction novel,

'Crash,' by Jerry Spinelli, or 'Schooled,' by Gordon Korman. "

There are assignments that accompany each required reading and students are

asked to select a second novel on their own.

As a former fourth-grade teacher and a parent, Bigsby can think of plenty of

ways to keep children engaged without forcing required reading lists over the

summer vacation.

" When I was teaching, parents would ask, 'What should we do over the summer?

Hire tutors? Sign up for summer programs?' " he recalled.

His advice? " Everyone needs a break, " Bigsby said. " I'd remind parents that my

class was tough, that I challenged the students. Summer is a time to do fun

things. "

Summer learning doesn't have to revolve around reading, Bigsby said.

" If you want your child to write, have him write a journal about your vacation, "

he recommended. " Have him generate a list of reasons he should get the toy he

wants, and then turn it into a paragraph. "

If your child prefers to watch TV or movies, or play video games, find a way to

make the activity educational, Bigsby said.

After more than 15 years in education, Bigsby said he sees no difference between

visual, audio and oral comprehension.

" If your child is watching a show or a movie, you can still work on

comprehension skills, " he said. " Ask them what will happen next? OK, how do you

know? You can work on prediction, critical thinking. "

Whether choosing from a list of required assignments or being guided by parents,

Bigsby said that engaging in summer learning activities is no different from the

rest of the year.

" We can teach them the skills in the three or four hours of instruction time

each day, but practice has to happen outside of school. That means parents

working with their kids, providing opportunities for their kids to read, to

write, to do practical math, is a very keep component. "

As a parent of two young children, Bigsby knows that it is not always as easy as

it sounds.

" Is there a slide? Yes, " he said. " That's why we start the school year off with

review. We manage it the best we can. "