Avoiding the “Summer Slide”: How to keep students engaged during the summer

Writer: Sommer Senne
Published: Updated:
Summer Slide

Every kid looks forward to summer break but they also face the “Summer Slide.”

The “Summer Slide” is a term for students who don’t stay mentally engaged over the summer.

“Summer slide is a very real thing if students aren’t engaged in the right activities,” said Lori Houchin, Middle School Director for Curriculum and Instruction for the Lee County School District.

Even though students aren’t in the classroom, they don’t have to take a three-month break from learning.

“Students that attended our enrichment camps scored 30% higher on the baseline than students who didn’t participate in our summer enrichment activities,” Houchin said. “We know that summer enrichment can make a difference.”

The Lee County School District is helping students stay educationally engaged over the summer by offering band camps, STEM camps and a variety of other options.

“We’ve done a really good job of balancing that, so we have offerings for every need for every student,” said Houchin.

Students can even take their Chromebooks home over the summer for some extra educational fun.

“We do some contests and things for these students, so when they meet a measure, they get a reward,” Houchin said.

Collier County and Charlotte County School Districts also have summer enrichment programs.

Collier County is finalizing its offerings, and Charlotte County is offering reading, math, STEM and other enrichment programs.

It’s not just the schools offering these programs.

The Lee County Library System is also stepping up to the plate by offering a free summer reading program to give kids an adventure outside of their phones.

“We try to strategize that we’re helping every student grow over the summer,” Houchin said. “Not lose, but grow.”

The Lee County School District camps run throughout the summer.

More information on summer programs can be found below:

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