Is your family enjoying some time to relax and rejuvenate this summer?  Summer is a great time for kids and adults alike to take a break from the scheduled daily activities.  Unfortunately, it is also a time when summer learning loss – or the “summer slide” can occur.

As a way to guard against summer learning loss, the EVSC has developed educational resources for families to use — in addition to providing a variety of educationally-enhanced camps and learning experiences in the EVSC.  These digital resources, organized by grade level for children in grades K-8, can be found at evscstudents.com/summer-school-resources or under “Links” on any of the EVSC School websites.

The National Summer Learning Association says that summers without quality learning opportunities put youth at risk for falling behind – year after year – in core subjects like math and reading. “A conservative estimate of lost instructional time is approximately two months or roughly 22 percent of the school year…. It’s common for teachers to spend at least a month re-teaching material that students have forgotten over the summer. That month of re-teaching eliminates a month that could have been spent on teaching new information and skills.”

The United States Department of Education also provides the following tips to prevent the “summer slide.”  Tips include:

For Elementary and Middle School Students:

• All students can benefit from a trip to the local library.
• Parents of younger students can create a summer reading list with their children, and then reward them when they finish each book.
• Additionally, parents can encourage their kids to think outside of the box with arts and crafts. Sites such as kids.govand NGA Kids have great ideas that will let any child’s imagination run wild and stimulate creativity.
• Summertime can be a great time to teach healthy eating habits. Parents can get ideas for tasty and nutritious meals at Let’s Move!and kidshealth.org. There is also information available about the EVSC’s Summer Lunch Program, which was established by the US Department of Agriculture to ensure that all children continue to receive nutritious meals when school is not in session.

For High School Students:

• Summer can be the perfect time for high school-aged children to prepare for college, and setting aside at least one day a week to keep math and science skills fresh is an excellent way to start off the summer. Local libraries are an excellent place to find books full of practice problems – and they’re quiet and often air-conditioned too!
• Practice for taking the SAT can be found for free on KHANACADEMY’s SAT Prep website at https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/sat
• Summer is also a good time to sit down and discuss financial aid and other expenses. Our Office of Federal Student Aid has prepared checklistsgeared toward students of all ages.
• Many high school students might also want to take the time to start developing their professional resumes. Finding a part-time job can help students gain valuable experience and line their pockets with a bit of extra cash.  Visit www.wh.gov/youthjobsfor more information.
• Volunteering is also an option. Youth-oriented summer camps, local museums, animal shelters and, of course, libraries are often looking for extra help during warmer months. This experience is not only valuable for personal and professional development, but it often looks good on college applications. Find opportunities at volunteer.gov.