Summer Slide Reading & Math Activities

Stop the summer slide. If you are an educator or parent concerned about the loss in academic levels in your student, then it's important to take a proactive approach for your student's well-being.

What is the summer slide? It’s the loss of about 2 months of a child’s reading level and 2.5 months in math.  According to the experts, the summer slide is a decline in reading ability and other academic skills that can occur over the summer months while school is not in session. Watch this video my district created to educate parents about this topic!

It seems to most teachers that not reading over summer is unthinkable! How often do teachers write,"Don’t forget to read this summer," in their end of year report card comments?  Even though we may know it’s a given, we also realize the kids who need it the most are often not involved in continued learning over the summer.

Sadly, not every kid has someone at home helping to foster a love of reading who will take the time to bring their child to the library. The benefit is, once you're there, most public libraries and bookstores offer incentives for students to complete a summer reading challenge! Typically, you just have to fill out a quick reading log, get it signed and then return it to the front counter - SIMPLE!

As a kid, I remember reading the entire Winnie the Pooh series so I could pick my own free book from Barnes & Noble! I was so EXCITED to win a freebie! Then a couple years later, Harry Potter was released and I never had a problem reading the newest epic novel in the series. I devoured 700+ pages in 3 days. It was glorious!!!

I recommend doing a quick Google search to see of any participating summer reading challenges in your area. Or, ask the librarian! www.maricopacountyreads.org is the website my public library is partnered with to have readers of all ages participate in the summer reading challenge. What's changed from my experience as a kid? The log is now digital instead of a paper/pencil form. However, I'm sure there are still printable forms available depending on your need.

They even offer these FREE DIGITAL reading resources so there's no access barrier as long as you have a wifi connection!

• KidLit TV
• Storyline Online
• Reading Pioneers
• Library of Congress' Exquisite Corpse Adventure
• Universe of Stories (a learn & listen podcast made for elementary school kids)

Another AMAZING WAY to stop the summer slide is to participate in activites that naturally promote learning!  Summer is a great time to find educational apps to exercise your mind, explore Pinterest for fun DIY crafts, recipes &/or science experiments, and be creative!  

A FUN way to boost math skills over summer is to sharpen math facts!  If you have a deck of playing cards around, you can easily teach your child how to play Addition Battle, Subtraction Battle, or Multiplication Battle.  

How to Play Math Facts Battle:

For example, if Player A sets an 8 face up and Player B sets a 7 face up...

1. Deal the deck as you would normally when playing War.  
2. Then, after each opponent reveals a card face up, depending on which operation you are looking to practice, you'd want to be the first to say the answer.

• Addition Battle (winner is the first to say 15... because 8+7=15 - you just sum the values)

• Subtraction Battle (winner is the first to say 1... because 8-7=1 - you subtract the values)

• Multiplication Battle (winner is the first to say 56... because 8x7=56)

So, what do you do with the face cards?  You can choose to set those aside or agree on a predetermined value.  I normally play Jacks as 11s, Queens as 12s, Kings as 20s, Jokers/Aces as 100s.)  This is an excellent game to include in your math stations in the classroom as well - (make sure to set some parameters on volume because students get really competitive with this game!) 

If you happen to be in need of some printable material to prevent the Summer Slide for those entering/exiting 4th grade, grab my Summer Slide Reading Packets.