REVERSING SUMMER LEARNING LOSS AT HOME

READING STRATEGIES FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES AND THOSE LEARNING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE

BY CLAUDIA RINALDI, PH.D

Summer fun is on its way! As school ends, summer can also be a stressful time for parents and their children with and without disabilities. Students with disabilities, in the schools, tend to have structured schedules, predictable routines with various teachers, and repetition of activities and assignments, all which make the day easier to follow. 

When summer comes, some families and their children with disabilities may struggle to find a routine to ensure that they don't lose the academic skills they learned over the year. For children who are also learning English, parents may worry that they may lose some of their skills in the English language. This article provides some ideas on how you can make the best of the summer with your child. As you continue to read this article, remember that as parents our role is to support our children in their development and to ensure that they have a good balance of fun and learning throughout the day.

WHAT IS SUMMER LEARNING LOSS?

Many school leaders and teachers worry about the summer academic or learning loss for students with disabilities. This means that when summer comes, the students may not practice literacy and math skills, and they may lose skills they learned the previous year. For students also learning English, this is also a time when they may practice English less. One way schools help is by offering summer school, but even then, it is usually just a few weeks. Another way is to educate parents on how they can help their children practice reading while building vocabulary at home.