By Erika Harrell
Most kids dream about summer all school year long, minus mosquitoes. As parents, we dream for kids to enjoy a summer balanced by academics and fun because we know mosquitoes aren’t the only nuisance summer brings. Summer slide, one of the biggest deterrents to academic success for youth is a threat we can’t allow. According to the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) “the summer opportunity gap” [or 'summer slide'] contributes to gaps in achievement, employment and college and career success.” For this reason, my family looks for ways every summer for an opportunity to learn, regardless of whether or not school is in session.
Our family typically repels Summer Slide with a curriculum of our own design through trips to museums, libraries, and beach hopping from coast to coast. This summer, our son will join the Great Books Summer Program for one week to hone his academic and social skills in preparation for a new school year. In a Time magazine article, Annie Murphy Paul argued that reading aloud to children and daily reading keeps "Summer slide" at bay. In some cases, it can increase scholars' reading levels to ensure they arrive well-prepared on their first day of school.
Some may argue, that because our son works so hard all year, we should just let him vacation without parameters for at least one summer. While we agree that leisure is important and healthy, the old adage remains true. Too much of anything isn’t good for you and in this case can lead to the last thing we want: Summer Slide’s rippling effects. In an interview for the NSLA, Linda Goetze Senior Researcher, Center for Education Policy Research University of New Mexico, argued that, “Without stimulating summer learning activities, students regress from where they were in the spring, and teachers have to waste time re-teaching material in the fall. Disparities in these activities contribute significantly to the achievement gap.” Ms. Goetze further explained that the ramifications of this dreaded gap we know as Summer Slide provides a startling forecast for where children find themselves in adulthood, either building successful careers or struggling to find jobs that simply make ends meet.
Essentially, summer enrichment programs are about more than one summer; they’re about continuing a child's path to a quality future. By consistently supporting quality academic foundations in summer, parents can protect their children from Summer Slide while teaching them that academics can compliment fun, a philosophy we hope will remain with our children through college and beyond.
View summer programming options here.
Erika Harrell is a public charter school advocate and is a member of DC PCSB’s Parent and Alumni Leadership Council. Learn more about PALC here.
PALC member, Erika Harrell, discusses her methods to avoid "summer slide."