--- title: 10 Tips to Help Your Student Avoid the Academic “Summer Slide” description: How to encourage your child to read and write over the summer and prevent the “summer slide” - the academic loss that occurs over the summer. image: https://blog.westtown.edu/hubfs/Reading.jpg --- [![](https://blog.westtown.edu/hs-fs/file-2454828850-png/Westtown-Feb2015/logo_graphic.png?width=68&height=68&name=logo_graphic.png)](http://www.westtown.edu/page.cfm?p=1) [![](https://blog.westtown.edu/hs-fs/file-2451508821-png/Westtown-Feb2015/logo_text.png) Spirited Quaker education since 1799](http://www.westtown.edu/page.cfm?p=1) # A Well-Lit Path: A Blog from Westtown School ## [10 Tips to Help Your Student Avoid the Academic “Summer Slide”](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/10-tips-to-help-your-student-avoid-the-academic-summer-slide) Posted by [Lynn Clements](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/author/lynn-clements) on June 9, 2016 - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ![Reading.jpg](https://blog.westtown.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/Reading.jpg?width=320&name=Reading.jpg)As parents, we try to protect our children with immunizations, sunscreen, bicycle helmets, seat belts, and good health habits. But what can we do to prevent “summer slide” - academic loss that occurs over the summer-  and instead, foster “summer gain?” Research shows that leisure reading is the best predictor of comprehension, vocabulary, and reading speed.  Regardless of ethnicity, socioeconomic level, or previous achievement, children who read **four or more** books over the summer perform better on reading-comprehension tests in the fall than their peers who read one or no books over the summer. Academic losses over the summer months are cumulative, creating a wider gap each year between more proficient and less proficient students. To encourage summer academic gain, and more importantly, to instill lifelong reading habits in your children, model reading for your children. Having parents who model strong reading habits  at home has a greater impact on kids’ reading frequency than does household income. - Make sure they see you reading for pleasure on vacation, in the evenings at home, and throughout the day. - When you travel, let your children gather travel brochures, read menus, and maps (or Google directions), and listen to audiobooks in the car or on the plane. - Consider gift wrapping a book and surprising your child with a book  as an “I love you” gift, a tooth fairy gift, or a happy summer present. - Spend a few hours browsing together at a [local book store](http://www.childrensbookworld.net/), or go to your local public library and let your child get her/his own library card and use it weekly this summer.  *An overwhelming 92% of kids say they are more likely to finish a book they picked out themselves, so offer them lots of reading choices.* - Try popcorn reading, where everyone takes turns reading paragraphs aloud. *Graphic novels are popular and are fun to read together by assigning characters and reading their dialogue with expression.* - Read together at the pool during swim breaks, at the beach, and of course, every night at bedtime. *Give your child a flashlight to keep by the bed for special flashlight reading time.* It is also important to keep those writing skills sharp over the summer months. - Give children“real-life” reading/writing activities such as writing grocery lists, weekly schedules, chore lists, or postcards. - Set up a writing center stocked with colored markers and pencils, post-its, paper for writing and drawing, and encourage them to make comic books, flip books, write letters, or keep a summer diary.   - Download apps such as Puppet Pals, Buncee, Lego Movie Maker, and Tellagami, that are for easy for elementary students to use for content creation, while strengthening writing and reading skills.   - Tell stories, jokes and riddles around the fire pit or campfire this summer And be sure to check out your school’s [summer reading guide](http://westtown.libguides.com/lower)for suggestions for all reading levels.  Start summer reading and writing activities as soon as school is out and encourage it every day until we are back in school again in September! Have a wonderful [summer](http://summer-westtown.com/) filled with stories, memories and family fun. [![Receive a link to our Parent Webinar "Avoiding the Summer Slide"](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/394143/6044c6c4-bf89-449a-bd2e-25b4f8c370cc.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/394143/6044c6c4-bf89-449a-bd2e-25b4f8c370cc) Topics: [Help with learning](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/help-with-learning), [Inspiring the Best in Kids](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/inspiring-the-best-in-kids) ![Lynn Clements](https://blog.westtown.edu/hs-fs/hubfs/blog1clement.jpg?width=300&height=300&name=blog1clement.jpg) #### Written by [Lynn Clements](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/author/lynn-clements) Lynn Clements is the Lower School Library Media Specialist at Westtown School. She has 30 years of school library experience and a great love of children’s literature. She collaborates with teachers to design inquiry-based research projects and co-teaches lessons that are integrated into the classroom curriculum. Lynn has worked extensively in the area of curriculum and instructional design, most recently working on the Pennsylvania State Model Library Curriculum. In 2013, she was the recipient of the Outstanding School District Library Media Program in Pennsylvania. Lynn considers it her greatest success when a child asks for a book “just like the last one.” ### Subscribe to Our Blog ### Recent Posts ### Posts by Topic - [Inspiring the Best in Kids (46)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/inspiring-the-best-in-kids) - [Raising Resilient, Healthy Teens (29)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/raising-resilient-healthy-teens) - [Help with learning (19)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/help-with-learning) - [Communication and Children (18)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/communication-and-children) - [Raising Resilient Lower and Middle Schoolers (7)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/raising-resilient-lower-and-middle-schoolers) - [sustainability (4)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/sustainability) - [Building Self-Esteem in Teens (3)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/building-self-esteem-in-teens) - [How to get your teen to talk (3)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/how-to-get-your-teen-to-talk) - [How to Pick the Best Independent School in Philly (2)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/how-to-pick-the-best-independent-school-in-philly) - [How to manage the mood swings (2)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/how-to-manage-the-mood-swings) - [Student Life at Westtown (2)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/student-life-at-westtown) - [Westtown Picks (2)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/westtown-picks) - [Summer Camps (1)](https://blog.westtown.edu/blog/topic/summer-camps) see all 975 Westtown Road West Chester, PA 19382 610.399.0123 [Contact Us](http://www.westtown.edu/page.cfm?p=498#) - - - - [Apply Now](https://mbp.westtown.edu/SeniorApps/facelets/registration/loginCenter.xhtml?appId=AD) [Make A Gift](http://www.westtown.edu/page.cfm?p=979) Westtown School, a Quaker Pre-K -12th grade co-ed, private, college preparatory day and boarding school, offers a challenging and diverse curriculum that emphasizes critical thinking, collaboration, service and social action. Since 1799, we have been committed to character education and innovation. We inspire and prepare our graduates to become stewards and leaders of a better world. [Apply Now](https://mbp.westtown.edu/SeniorApps/facelets/registration/loginCenter.xhtml?appId=AD) [Make A Gift](http://www.westtown.edu/page.cfm?p=979) Westtown School, a Quaker Pre-K -12th grade co-ed, private, college preparatory day and boarding school, offers a challenging and diverse curriculum that emphasizes critical thinking, collaboration, service and social action. Since 1799, we have been committed to character education and innovation. We inspire and prepare our graduates to become stewards and leaders of a better world. 975 Westtown Road West Chester, PA 19382 610.399.0123 [Contact Us](http://www.westtown.edu/page.cfm?p=498#) - - - - - [powered by finalsite](http://www.finalsite.com/)