2]VM-);<-:67:-/768):-6< How to stop summer learning loss before it starts By JENNIFER COSTLEY Did you know that reading is responsible for approximately a third of a child’s annual vocabulary growth? ,ŽǁĂďŽƵƚƚŚĞĨĂĐƚƚŚĂƚƚǁŽͲ thirds of kids who cannot read ƉƌŽĮĐŝĞŶƚůLJďLJƚŚĞĞŶĚŽĨƚŚĞ fourth grade will end up in jail or on welfare, and that 85 percent of juveniles in the court system are ĨƵŶĐƟŽŶĂůůLJŝůůŝƚĞƌĂƚĞ͍ Libraries have long understood the value of literacy and likewise the cost of illiteracy. We work hard to provide open access to books ĂŶĚĞĚƵĐĂƟŽŶĂůƚĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐLJďƵƚ access alone isn’t going to combat illiteracy, nor will it prevent children from falling behind during the sum- mer months. ZĞƐĞĂƌĐŚŚĂƐƐŚŽǁŶƟŵĞĂŶĚ again that math and reading skills deteriorate over the summer when ĐŚŝůĚƌĞŶĂƌĞŶŽƚŝŶǀŽůǀĞĚŝŶĂĐƟǀĞ͕ ĞĚƵĐĂƟŽŶĂůŽƉƉŽƌƚƵŶŝƟĞƐ͘&ŽƌŵŝĚ- dle class families, the summer slide is detrimental but for low-income families the slide can be devastat- ing, especially during that crucial ƟŵĞƉĞƌŝŽĚďĞƚǁĞĞŶƚŚĞƚŚŝƌĚĂŶĚ fourth grade known as “the fourth grade slump.” The fourth grade slump occurs ǁŚĞŶƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐƌĞĂĐŚĂĐƌŝƟĐĂůƚƌĂŶ- ƐŝƟŽŶŝŶƚŚĞŝƌĞĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ͘dŚƌŽƵŐŚ- out the early elementary years students are learning to read. By fourth grade, students are expected to read to learn. For those who are ƐƚƌŝǀŝŶŐ͕ƚŚĞƚƌĂŶƐŝƟŽŶŝƐƐŵŽŽƚŚ͘ ,ŽǁĞǀĞƌ͕ĨŽƌƚŚŽƐĞǁŚŽǁĞƌĞďĞ- hind in kindergarten to third grade, ƚŚĞƚƌĂŶƐŝƟŽŶĐĂŶĐƌĞĂƚĞĂĚŽŵŝŶŽ HEATHER A. BACON, PH.D. & JENNIFER K. COOPER, PSY.D. Licensed Clinical Psychologists Helping parents discover new ways to shape behavior and reconnect with children. Currently accepting new patients. Most insurance and private pay accepted. 860 W. Elm Ave., Suite 204, Hermiston, OR 97838 541-289-7777 • hermistonpsych.com ĞīĞĐƚ͘dŚĞƐĞƐƚƵĚĞŶƚƐĂƌĞŶŽůŽŶŐĞƌ just struggling with reading, they are struggling in all subjects be- cause a great deal of the fourth grade curriculum is incomprehensi- ble to students who are not reading at a fourth grade level. So what can you do to help minimize summer learning loss? Get your kids out into the commu- ŶŝƚLJ͊,ŝƚƵƉLJŽƵƌĐŝƚLJ͛ƐƉĂƌŬƐĂŶĚƌĞĐ department, grab a schedule from the Children’s Museum of Eastern Oregon, contact the Arts Center and, of course, visit your library! Thanks to a generous grant by the Oregon State Library, Oregon libraries receive summer funding to ŽīĞƌƚŚĞ^ƵŵŵĞƌZĞĂĚŝŶŐWƌŽŐƌĂŵ͕ a program that rewards reading over the summer by encourag- (GXFDWLRQ ing children to track their reading, and then turn in a reading log for ĂƉƌŝnjĞŽĨƚŚĞŝƌĐŚŽŝĐĞ͘/ŶĂĚĚŝƟŽŶ ƚŽŽīĞƌŝŶŐƌĞĂĚŝŶŐŝŶĐĞŶƟǀĞƐ͕ƚŚĞ Ready to Read summer reading grant also makes it possible for li- ďƌĂƌŝĞƐƚŽďƌŝŶŐŝŶĞdžĐŝƟŶŐƉĞƌĨŽƌŵ- ers. Contact your library today for a list of summer reading events. ________ :ĞŶŶŝĨĞƌŽƐƚůĞLJŝƐƚŚĞzŽƵƚŚ^Ğƌ- ǀŝĐĞƐ>ŝďƌĂƌŝĂŶĂƚƚŚĞWĞŶĚůĞƚŽŶ WƵďůŝĐ>ŝďƌĂƌLJĂŶĚďůŽŐƐƌĞŐƵůĂƌůLJ ĂƚƉƉůƚĞĞŶƐ͘ǁĞĞďůLJ͘ĐŽŵͬďůŽŐ͘Śƚŵů͘