|
PREVENTING THE SUMMER SLIDE
~ During summer months,
children can lose approximately two months or roughly
22 percent of what they learned during the school year
~
July 2009
Washington, D.C. - July, 2009
- "Summer slide" describes the educational ground children
could lose during the three-month break from school,
particularly when it comes to reading. In fact, a 2002
report from Johns Hopkins Center for Summer Learning
finds that "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 students have
forgotten over the summer. That month of re-teaching
could have been spent on teaching new information and
skills."
Further, they note that family
income plays a significant role in determining the magnitude
of this summer slide. Students from low-income families
"...experience an average summer learning loss in reading
achievement of over two months." The cumulative effect
of summer learning differences is a primary cause of
widening achievement gaps between students of lower
and higher socioeconomic levels.
To help meet growing social
needs resulting from the economic downturn, the Summer
Service Initiative, launched by the White House on June
22, 2009, aims to both engage new volunteers in expanding
the impact of existing organizations and to encourage
"do-it-yourself" projects. The focus of the initiative
is economic recovery, with the support of education
and literacy for all Americans as a main component.
In participation with President
Obama's Summer Service Initiative, RIF launched Read
For Change to encourage all Americans to read with young
children at home and in their communities to raise awareness
about the impact of children's literacy on the long
term economic health of the country. The main feature
is a minute meter, which tracks the time spent reading
to children with a goal to reach three million minutes
by September 11, 2009 - the National Day of Service.
To encourage participation, RIF will randomly select
five participants to receive a children's book collection.
Thirty-six percent of American
4th-graders read below the "Basic" level on the National
Assessment of Educational Progress. RIF's highest priority
is reaching underserved children from birth to age 8
and is dedicated to motivating young children to read
by working with children, their parents, and community
members to make reading a fun and beneficial part of
everyday life. Through community volunteers in every
state and U.S. territory, RIF provides 4.5 million children
with 16 million new, free books and literacy resources
each year.
In order to provide these
services, RIF relies on funds from the federal government,
corporations, foundations, and even individuals. Through
August 31, RIF and Macy’s teamed up to Book A Brighter
Future for the millions of children who lack adequate
access to books in the U.S. Supporters can stop by Macy’s
and give $3 to get a $10 off coupon on in-store purchases
of $50 or more. Macy’s will donate 100% of every $3
to RIF.
###
|
