It’s a slippery slope. “Summer Slide” is what we use to describe learning loss for children over the summer – a loss disproportionately affecting underserved children. Researchers put it at two months (if not more) of learning loss. And the effect is cumulative, causing a significant achievement gap between low and middle-income children down the line.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. There’s a solution and RIF is hard at work finding the lowest cost, most scalable solution for the children we serve.

Under the grant we received through the Department of Education’s Innovative Approaches to Literacy program, RIF is giving 20,000 children in 145 schools and 33 school districts tools to help stem – and maybe even reverse – some of the learning loss that they face each summer. And it all starts with books.

Before they leave, students involved in the program will pick out five of their very own books to call their own. They’ll come back and pick up three more. Throughout the summer, their parents will have tools to resources at school and activities to keep the books fresh and engaging for kids.

The project should yield both qualitative and quantitative research, so we’ll have an in-depth analysis in the fall about the effect on the kids’ learning gains.

In addition, we’re giving each of the classrooms in the 145 schools – and every library or media center in the school – their very own Multicultural Book Collection, along with activities for teachers, parents, and RIF coordinators to keep kids learning throughout these critical summer months.

But you don’t have to wait for the results. We know from research already done that simply reading with the children in your life – and making sure they have books at their fingertips – is a key way to help children retain learning.

Want ideas on how to keep the reading going at home? Here are some simple tips:

• Visit. Head to the library and sign your kid up for a library card if they don’t already have one. In addition to a wide selection of books to borrow, many libraries have free, child-friendly summer reading programs. Going to a baseball game? Read a book about baseball before you head off to that double-header.
• Lead. Kids look up to you, so lead by example. Read the newspaper at breakfast, pick up a magazine at the doctor’s office, and stuff a paperback in your beach bag. If kids see the adults around them reading often, they will understand that all types of reading can be an important part of their summer days. Storybooks aren’t the only thing that kids can read. Be prepared and keep all kinds of reading material on hand that might spark the interest of a young reader.
• Talk. Talking with your kids about what you have read also lets them know that reading is an important part of your life. Tell them why you liked a book, what you learned from it, or how it helped you—soon they might start doing the same. Going camping? Have your kids tell stories to their friends.
• Relax. Reading is supposed to be fun. So relax. Don’t set daily minute requirements or determine the number of pages they should read. Instead, make sure they pick up books that appeal to them and help find ways for them to choose to read on their own.

For more summer fun, use our summer reading activity sheet.

Photo Source: read4thefunofit 

But then came cupcakes, Clifford and members of Congress.

Our annual See What’s Brewing with RIF event on Capitol Hill was a great opportunity to showcase the work of RIF programs nationwide and to talk to policymakers about RIF’s work getting books to kids in need.

Thanks to everyone who came to our event, who shared their own stories of RIF in action, and who pledged to stand by us in our work to ensure every child has the books and literacy resources they need to succeed. Guessing the cupcakes didn’t hurt either?

Keep the dialogue going by telling your Member of Congress about the work that RIF is doing. http://www.rif.org/us/get-involved/advocate/action-center.htm

Photo Source: kynan tait