LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — Children may be enjoying their summer break, but education experts warn that time away from the classroom can lead to what's known as the "summer slide" — when students lose some of the academic progress they made during the school year.
Save the Children is encouraging families to make learning part of their everyday routines to help prevent that slide before the new school year begins.
Chelsea Seals, with Save the Children, says parents don't need expensive programs or hours of structured schoolwork to keep kids on track.
"I feel that kids go through the summer slide because for technically 2 or 3 months, they are not getting any exposure to learning opportunities," said Seals. "So that's why it's very important for, for, uh, parents to be cognizant about that and try to incorporate learning activities during their, their day."
Everyday activities like reading together, cooking a meal, grocery shopping, or sorting laundry can help children practice literacy, math, and critical thinking skills. Setting aside just 20 minutes a day to read can also help build strong reading habits while creating quality time for families.
Seals encouraged letting children choose their own books, including favorites they want to revisit.
"So making sure I let the children pick their book that they want to read, maybe rereading those familiar reads or their favorite stories, that's fine. But also incorporating fiction and non-fiction stories that way children are getting a wide variety of, of, um, information, but then also connecting it back to real life experiences, so that helps grow those critical thinking skills for children," Seals said.
Seals said parents and caregivers are a child's first and most important teachers, and even small learning opportunities can help children return to school ready to build on what they learned the year before.
Free summer learning tips and activities can be found here.
Sydney St. Claire is committed to covering the stories that matter to you. If you have an idea, please reach out to Sydney at sydney.stclaire@wlex.tv
