September through May your child spends his day much like every other child: learning the same skills required to pass their current grade. But come summer time, that momentum seems to go by the wayside. Some sit in front of the TV all day, while others are engaged in special summer programs and camps. From his 24 year research study, Karl Alexander, discovered that the achievement gap between low-income and their wealthier peers is almost entirely due to the differences in how they spend their summers.
Watch this video from Horizons National, to see how the discrepancies between these income groups grow overtime:
Although there are always exceptions, it is sad to see the norm for these two different income groups depicted in this way. There are so many lower-income students with amazing minds and for them to fall behind simply because their parents don’t have the resources to provide them with a summer full of mind stimulating activities is tragic.
Luckily, one of the primary activities that help make a difference in these summer learning gaps is reading, the most inexpensive item on the list. Even if you can’t afford expensive summer programs, you can still get your child a library card and give him/her a chance to exercise his/her mind this summer.
The summer also provides struggling students with a perfect opportunity to catch up on the areas they lag behind in. Here is a link to Reading Horizons Free Workshop for Parents which will teach you how to teach your struggling reader some foundational reading skills. Start closing the achievement gap today! ›
About Angela Stevens
Angela is the Marketing Manager at Reading Horizons. She has been with the company since September 2009 and through her time with the company has gained a passion for literacy. When she is not promoting literacy she enjoys reading, boating, playing cards, and trying anything new that presents itself.
As a kid my mother made sure to fill our summer vacation with fun educational activities. My favorite were the frequent trips to the library, where we checked out plenty of books to read during our required reading time every day.