The new school year is almost upon us, and teachers are doing their best to prepare for the new influx of students. It is a challenge that few understand; between “summer slide” learning regressions, and curricula and classrooms to prepare, many teachers start the planning process early to facilitate the best learning environment and ensure their students can become the best versions of themselves from the moment they walk into the doors. Learn how industry experts prepare their classrooms and students for success from the first day.
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Coming Back from the Summer Slide
The phenomenon known as the “summer slide” is real. On average, a student loses a month of learning during the summer months. Economically disadvantaged groups are more likely to experience higher levels of summer slide, particularly for reading. A comprehensive review of the literature found that the higher the grade level, the greater the amount of summer slide. Another study, assessing over 500,000 students between grades 2-9, found that students lose 25-30% of their previous school year, on average, learning over the summer months. Teachers must prepare themselves to address this slide and think about how they facilitate each student’s learning from the first day in the classroom.
The summer slide doesn’t just apply to students. Teachers may feel like they are just getting into the groove of summer, only to find it is time to prepare for another year. Taking a few actionable steps before school starts can make an otherwise busy time of year run as smoothly as possible.
