As the school year comes to an end, many of us are thinking about long hot days and fair weather fun. We may not be thinking about how much literacy learning our children gained during the school year or how much could be lost during the break from school. This loss is often called the “summer slide” and can be avoided with a little planning and support from the Maine DOE and Maine Public Libraries.
The Department’s Literacy for ME initiative has launched a webpage to provide families with resources to support summer reading and other activities that enhance typical summer experiences and prevent the summer slide. Do you know how to choose books that your kids can read independently? Do you have a book you can read aloud as a family? Are you planning a long car trip this summer? How about planning some writing activities to capture the fun and adventure?
Visit the Summer Literacy page within the resources section of the Maine DOE’s Literacy for ME web pages. You will find methods of selecting texts, writing ideas, discussion prompts, and other helpful resources.
For more information about summer reading or the Literacy for ME initiative please contact the Department’s Lee Anne Larsen at leeann.larsen@maine.gov or 624-6628.