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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.
________
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