Image Courtesy of expandedschools.org

Most kids look forward to summer break with excitement and eagerness, but parents and teachers often worry about the effects of the summer brain drain – or summer slide – that can negatively affect your child’s basic academic skills. On average kids in the United States lose 2 months of math and reading skills over the summer break – which adds up to a full year during just the elementary years alone! Research also shows that kids from lower income homes are even more at risk for this summer slide as their educational resources become less available.

If your child has a speech delay or disorder, or any other type of challenge that makes learning more – challenging, this summer slide can be a real drain on the brain. Maybe your school doesn’t offer summer speech therapy, or your child is already a reluctant reader. There are ways to help. Try some of these fun and easy ways to build your child’s readings skills during the summer and avoid the summer slide (unless you’re headed to the park).

7 Ways to Build Your Child’s Reading Skills

1. Make a field trip out of your child’s summer reading interests. Maybe your son can’t wait to head to the local amusement park, so get him even more excited by encouraging him to read about the 10 highest roller coasters on Earth! If your daughter loves to go for bike rides, encourage her to read about local trails and pick a new one to try each week. Reading maps is a legitimate reading skill that has practical implications for the future. Continue reading →