SPONSORED CONTENT -- (StatePoint) Students of all ages are at risk for “summer slide.” The good news is that this seasonal phenomenon, where academic skills are lost or forgotten during the long summer break, is not inevitable. Here are a few strategies that parents can use to help their students confidently return to the classroom in fall:
Visit the library once a week: Regular library visits promote literacy and reading comprehension. They also demonstrate to students that reading can be enjoyable while giving them an opportunity to choose books that align with their interests. Investigate whether your local library is hosting a summer reading challenge or any other events that will encourage a reading habit.
Subscribe to a daily newspaper: Speaking of reading, you can help your student develop critical thinking skills while giving them a leg up in their history and social studies classes by subscribing to a daily newspaper or weekly news magazine.
Upgrade their math tools: Why wait until back-to-school shopping season to upgrade your student’s math tools? Encourage them to test prep, code and use their math skills throughout summer with a tool like the fx-9750GIII graphing calculator. With Natural Textbook Display and an intuitive icon menu, students will find its features — such as graph plotting, probability distribution, vector arithmetic and spreadsheets — incredibly easy to use. Capable of programming in CASIO Basic and MicroPython and approved for the SAT, PSAT, ACT and AP tests, the fx-9750GIII will be their go-to calculator for years to come, making this summer a great time to get acquainted with its interface.
Make conversation happen: Is your student taking a foreign language? Arrange for them to meet with a language partner so they can keep the conversation going throughout summer. Also, check out the wide variety of foreign language movies, music and other media available through streaming platforms, so your student can stay immersed in their language of choice, even when class is out of session.
With a few measures designed to stem the tide of summer slide, you can help ensure that when your student returns to the classroom, they are prepared for the next level of instruction, not playing catch-up.
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