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    10 Ways To Prevent Summer Slide

    Did you know that children can lose up to three months of academic progress over the summer?  Over 100 years of research continually shows this trend.

    Here are ten things you can do to help your child avoid the summer slide.

    1. Read EVERY day!  Read non-fiction, fiction, ebooks, poetry, newspapers and read out loud! For most children, twenty minutes is an appropriate amount of time to read for a child who is an independent reader. Most libraries have a wonderful summer reading program with incentives and rewards for books read over the summer.
    2. Cook with your children.  This is one of the best ways to integrate math, reading and following directions.  Let your child design the menu too!  Help your child put together their favorite recipes in a cookbook.
    3. Plant a garden.  Your child will gain responsibility and pride as they watch their plants grow and thrive.
    4. Take a field trip to a museum, zoo or local park with walking trails.  Keep a journal about your travels.
    5. Learn a new word each week!  Hang it on the fridge and see who can use it the most times throughout the week.
    6. Enroll in a quality summer program that will provide your child with opportunities to build their critical thinking skills.   
    7. Play quick games with flashcards like Math War or Concentration to keep math skills sharp.
    8. Listen to Audio Books during your road trip.
    9. Take pictures and make a summer scrapbook.
    10. Did I mention READ?!  If your child does nothing else this summer make sure he/she is reading!

    Just like with playing a sport, Reading and Math are skills that must be practiced.  When a child spends hours a day hitting a baseball, swimming, shooting a basketball, they will progress. But say he then stops hitting balls for three months or takes a few months off from swimming. Will he hit a ball on the first swing?  Will he swim as efficiently as before?  No, but if he practices a few times a week, will he be able to regain the previously learned skills relatively quickly? Yes! It is important to keep your child’s mind engaged over the summer so they will not fall victim to the summer slide.