The Summer Slide (what is that?)
In a typical non-pandemic calendar year, a summer slide is not found by the community pool or in your local park – a summer slide is an occurrence wherein students lose serious academic gains over their summer breaks. In fact, and as reported by Scholastic, data shows that students can lose up to 20% of their academic years’ gains – yes, 20% in one summer! Additionally, research also shows that the hardest hit subjects are writing and math – two of the three ‘r’s!
Typically, most students can overcome this slide with the most basic support at the start of the next academic year. Some students, however, cannot afford this drastic of a slide. So usually, these students and their teachers and parents arrange summer goals and support to sustain the student until the next academic year.
In light of recent events (ahem, pandemia) – how do we know which of those two categories (basic supports or summer support) our children belong to? And, isn’t this something we should have a handle on? Especially now, as summer 2021 fastly approaches…(and the unknown of fall is right behind it?)
The Good News
I think it is safe to say (and assume) that your typical and nontypical learners will need some sort of peer, academic and emotional interventions this summer. And, especially in preparation for an upcoming school year that can either be a return to what we once knew (think 2018 and before); or a continuation of what we know now. I mean, all we know about the upcoming fall and the 2021 -2022 school year is that it is still a complete unknown.
The unique thing about this summer is that all students across the globe have suffered losses in academic gains and their social-emotional developments. Long-term effects of the calendar and academic years of 2019 – 2021 – we do not know – in the short term, there is so much that we do know that can probably help us prepare our young adults for the long term.
What We Know and How to Prepare:
- All of our children need social and peer interactions ASAP and many need to recoup academic skills lost this year.
- Is camp an option for your child? – – what a great way to regain organic peer experiences.
- Summer tutoring is an excellent option to regain or sharpen some academic skills. Agencies like A+ Solutions offer things like writing clinics – this is a fundamental and comprehensive writing class. An excellent option offering much-needed academic support in an area we already know suffers immensely over the summer and an Individualized Reading and Math Clinic– an intense intervention problem geared to the unique learning style of your child.
- Most children are surviving this school year – few are thriving, and even less are thriving across the board (meaning in every area of their school live) Call A+ Solutions to see how they can support your child, socially and academically.
Conclusion
If you’re a parent already used to putting in place academic supports for your child’s educational needs over the summer – you already got this – you know who to call and what to do. If you’re brand new to this and are only recently (like right now as you are reading this) learning about the summer slide, agencies like A+ Solutions have so much to offer and not only academically but psychologically as well! There are so many ways we can help our children maximize their summer and prepare for the fall and what lies ahead; just click here and see for yourself!
