The so-called summer slide really bothers me! Teachers work incredibly hard to achieve reading gains during the school year. Then we lock-up the school libraries and classrooms that house the books these kids need for reading practice--the practice they need to maintain their reading gains. Some studies show that the typical student can lose up to three months of gain during the summer.

It really is all about PRACTICE. It doesn't matter if it's hitting golf balls, playing piano, or reading. We get better the more we practice. But without the proper tools, practice isn't possible.

The problem is particularly acute in low-income homes where there are few developmentally appropriate books to read. I recently read that if kids read 5-10 books during the summer, the slide could be prevented. The solution seems so simple; it seems a shame to let students lose their hard-earned gains.

I feel that Learning A-Z has helped play a role in the prevention of summer reading loss. Many teachers have shared how they use the Reading A-Z and Raz-Kids websites to provide appropriate books for summer reading. Some teachers allow kids to order books that are then placed in plastic bags and sent home with the children for the summer. Others tell me that RAZ-Kids, with its 24/7 access to a large library of engaging and developmentally appropriate books, is the perfect way to keep kids reading during the summer. Kids just log in, then read and take quizzes. Teachers can view their students' summer reading activity from reports automatically posted in the teacher section of Raz-Kids.

Whether you use Learning A-Z resources or other resources, I hope you make summer reading available to your students. You don't have to give up the hard--earned gains. You just need to do all you can to encourage kids to practice, practice, practice. Yes, even during the summer.

Please take a few minutes to watch the video I made for you on this subject: IRA Video