Effectively Engaging Families in Supporting Children Literacy

Development

Avoiding the Summer Slide in Literacy

Objective

Advise parents on ways to help their children to avoid the Summer Slide and how to keep

kids learning over the summer.

After school year is over…

Over the summer, all students are at risk of losing some of the reading skills they acquire during the school year. This is commonly known as the “summer slide.” This study was funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Innovative Approaches to Literacy Grant.

Research Findings

• The Reading Is Fundamental Read for Success research study set out to test and confirm the efficacy of a new model to reduce summer learning loss in children from economically disadvantaged communities.

• Our hypothesis was that summer learning loss in reading could be cut in half, from 80% of students experiencing loss to 40%.

• This study was funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Innovative Approaches to Literacy Grant.

America’s Literacy Crisis

This lack of access to resources over the summer,• 80% of children from

low-income communities will lose up to three months of learning

• Before school begins again in fall.

America’s Literacy Crisis

• For most children who fall behind in school, who typically do not have access to books and learning opportunities over the summer, it is unlikely they will ever catch up.

Research Findings

• On average, 57% of students improved their reading proficiency, instead of 80% of children showing loss.

• Nearly half of students in third grade—a critical grade for literacy skill building—increased reading proficiency. This study was funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Innovative Approaches to Literacy Grant.

Parental Involvement

• Even students with strong reading skills, at or above the 90th percentile, increased reading proficiency.• Schools with the greatest improvements had a full culture change and strong parental involvement. When schools were transformed into literacy-rich environments, students achieved greater results.

Finding and Using Computers

• If you don’t have a computer ask your library if, you and your child may use one of the library computers.

• Ask your librarian about good programs for learning to use a computer.

Young Kids with Computers

• When sitting at a computer with your child join in at first.

• Later watch as they play.

• Always praise and guide them as they improve in their language abilities.

Computer Reading Activities

Children can play with objects and characters on the screen that teach the:• Alphabet• Simple words• Rhyming words• Other reading skills

More Reading Activities

Your child will learn to…• Command the computer

with their voice.• Write simple sentences

and make up stories.• Add pictures and

characters to their stories.

• Make and print their own books.