Written by the Kurzweil Blog Team

We have all been there. Our students worked hard throughout the school year and we are seeing improvement. Yes, it feels like we are getting somewhere! But then comes the summer break we have all been anxiously anticipating. With it comes the known and dreaded phenomenon of the "summer slide." According to the National Summer Learning Association report, "It’s common for teachers to spend at least a month re-teaching material that students have forgotten over the summer. That month of re-teaching eliminates a month that could have been spent on teaching new information and skills."

Use Kurzweil 3000 to avoid the "reading slide."

Experts agree that students who read during the summer gain reading skills, while those who do not often slide backward.

It is easy to keep them reading during the summer with Kurzweil 3000. Many books are readily accessible to students in the Universal Library — including the Non-Fiction Bookbag for grades 3 — 8 and the 1,800+ selections found in the Classic Literature collection. Students can also re-read books that remain in their Universal Library folder or you can save additional reading material for their summertime use. The important thing is that they will be reading.

With Kurzweil 3000 reporting you can even track if they are using the software to read during the summer, even if they are reading on their iPad at the pool.

Set goals.

Research has shown that written goals are much more often achieved than non-written ones. Give them a goal to agree to use Kurzweil 3000 x-times per week during the summer. Discuss with the students what goals would make sense for them and have them write it down and commit to the challenge. This can be a summer book log.

Let parents know.

As parents approach the summer break, many are thinking about the exciting vacations they will take and how they will keep their children busy. Most are not even aware of the harmful summer slide phenomenon. Make them aware. Send a letter home. Tell them about the reading goals you have set with their student. Make them a partner in this important mission of gaining reading skills rather than going backwards.

Together we can stop the slide!

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