PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Summer vacation is approaching for many students in Southwest Florida. Some parents may be tempted to just let their kids relax during the summer. School officials in Charlotte county are saying that in order to make sure your child is ready in the fall, some summer reading is the best thing to. Four In Your Corner spoke with Carmel Kasiday the Director of Elementary Education for Charlotte County Public Schools about why summer reading is so important for student growth.
“Students can lose one to two months of learning gain over the summer if they’re not engaged academically“, Kasiday told Fox 4.
She says the lack of engagement can actually make it harder for students to review old material and pick u the new content they learn when classes begin. Kasiday says there is a solution for parents to prevent this from happening, and it is a simple one.
“What we want is for our parents to engage with their children over the summer.”
Kasiday says that parents should read to and with their kids as often as they can while school is out. Reading about things that children are already interested in is an easy way to do so. If parents want to challenge their children, Kasiday says they should try reading something with their child that is slightly above their grade level.
If parents think don't have an abundance of reading material for their children around the house, Kasiday has a solution. Little things like magazines, old pieces of mail and food packaging help kids apply what their reading to real-world situations. She also told Fox 4 that the long-term benefits of keeping children's minds academically engaged over the summer will show as early as the next school year, when children remain fully engaged in the classroom.
“That is what we really want to have happen is that we close the achievement gaps for kids.”
For more online reading resources parents can go to the Department of Education Website.
