It’s important to keep learning during summer

Becky Albrecht

It is hard to believe, but it won’t be long until school is out for the summer.

In general, that sounds really good.

Many people perceive summer break to be a carefree time when kids can just be kids — play ball, go to the library, take vacations, and spend time with family.

Unfortunately, that is not the scenario many kids actually experience.

Some kids face real summer struggles.

They need healthy meals and adult supervision because their parents are working. Also, without summer access to educational opportunities, kids suffer something educators call the summer slide.

Summer slide is the tendency for students to lose some of the achievement gains they made during the previous school year.

For example, research shows thta during summer, most students lose about two months of grade level equivalency in math.

Low income students lose even more in reading achievement.

One study by Fairchild & Boulay in 2002 determined reteaching forgotten material when students return in the fall cost districts both time and money. Financially, they estimated the dollar value of reteaching as about $1,500 per student.

A practical approach to these struggles is summer school.

It can provide the much needed ongoing opportunities for kids to learn and practice essential academic skills while in a safe, supervised learning environment.

Maryville R-II is enrolling kids now for summer classes in all three buildings.

Working parents of elementary students may also be happy to know that the G.O. program will continue to operate during the Eugene Field summer session.

For more detailed information, contact any building office to get specifics about session dates, times, and programming.

Administrators in charge are Kim Walker at Eugene Field, Kate Lydon at Maryville Middle, and Thom Alvarez at Maryville High.

If summer school is not an option, the next best thing to combat the summer slide, in my opinion, is to READ.

Reading is a skill. The more kids practice, they better they become at it, so take advantage of Maryville’s great public library and the schools’ summer checkout programs.