Summer Slide

I like a break just as much as anyone else, but to hear kids say that they didn't do any reading or math over the summer makes me sad.  I was the kid that ate up the public library's reading contest each summer.  It's interesting how much I found the bookmarks and all of the other trinkets so motivating. I also believe that is how I began to love reading, and I probably wouldn't have read classics like Little Women otherwise.  

I have heard many arguments against summer assignments like "let kids be kids" and "Johnny, doesn't like to read so I don't make him". However, we are doing Johnny and everyone else a disservice.  I have my students read at least 20 minutes a day.  I don't care if it's the back of a cereal box or a comic book as long as they read.  Dr. Seuss was right.  "The more you read; the more you know.  The more you know; the smarter you'll grow."  Think how much farther those that read and practice their math facts are by the end of the summer.  

You can only get better by practicing.  Do we let our kids take a break from piano for 3 months straight or from baseball or other sports? Most often than not, NO!  Then, why do we let them from academics?