Teachers urge parents to help prevent ‘summer slide’

MADISON COUNTY, Tenn. — Students across the area are preparing for summer break, but many teachers hope it’s not a complete break from learning.

East Elementary School students brush up on their reading skills Monday morning.

But in just a few weeks, they won’t have to pick up a textbook or solve a math problem all summer long.

“There’s a thing called ‘summer slide,’ which is where students lose skills over the summer that they gain during the school year,” Jackson-Madison County School System Chief Academic Officer Jared Myracle said.

Myracle says the “summer slide” after a long break is always a concern. And when it happens, come August, teachers notice.

“One of the primary ways that parents can help work against that is just to have your students read over the summer,” he said.

Myracle says parents can request summer work for their students, or contact the district for information on summer programs.

“There are various programs in the city and in the county that students can take advantage of and get engaged in,” Myracle said.

Teachers say there are many ways for students to keep their skills up during summer, and it can be fun.

“If you’re at the pool and you want to take a break, pull out a book,” East Elementary School third grade teacher Jeannette Coleman said.

To keep up with math skills, Coleman suggests this idea.

“We want it to be real-world learning, so things around the house — measurements, multiplication facts, and helping Dad out with a project,” he said.

Teachers say reading signs while driving in the car can also help avoid that summer slide, so when students return to school they’re ready to do their best.

The Jackson-Madison County School System will start back the first week of August.