Kids of all ages, from elementary through high school, can be affected by summer slide.
What's summer slide? Summer slide is the term used to describe what can happen to kids during the summer. During the school year, kids are reading more and exposed to all kinds of educational activites.
During the summer, they can lose up to three months of the knowledge and skills they've gained during the school year.
Scary, right? Don't worry, there are some easy (and fun!) activities and projects you can do with your kids. They'll be having so much fun they won't even realize they're learning!
Join the Summer Reading Club!
Make sure your children are signed up for the summer reading club. Reading just 30 minutes a day will help them maintain the skills they learned during the school year. The best part is all reading counts! If they want nonfiction, grab that. Only want magazines? That's okay! The important part is the act of reading. Kids will love that they get prizes for obtaining reading goals and you'll love that they'll be excited to read every day.
Play at Miss Humblebee's Academy
For 3-6 years old (hey, it's important to start the learning process early!), our online resource Miss Humblebee's Academylets your child get ready for kindergarten. You can create worksheets, track your child's progress--all while your child plays educational games and listens to books and songs. You can try it as a guest first but you'll want to create a free account right away so you can track their progress. This database can be accessed from home using your Des Plaines Library card or can be used at the library by anyone.
Visit a Museum
Did you know you can check out a museum pass at the library? You can! We have passes to many suburban museum locations--and not just museums but parks like the Chicago Botanic Garden as well. Visiting a museum that's new to your family can expose kids to different subjects and ideas. Why not check out the Bronzeville Children's Museum or visit the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian? To check out a pass, simply come to the Information Desk on the 2nd floor. You must have a Des Plaines Library card to check out a museum pass.
Attend Book Buddies
For kids going into 1st-4th grade in the fall, the library has a special program this summer called Book Buddies.
Book Buddies is a great way for kids to gain reading confidence by practicing in a friendly environment and to support the skills they learned during the school year.
Little buddies are paired up with a teen buddy and will take turns reading aloud to each other. In this type of program, kids are shown that reading and books are fun!
The four Book Buddies sessions are on July 6th, 13th, 20th, and 27th. At the final session, there will be snacks to celebrate the work they did this summer.
Why four weeks to the program? We want children to keep working on those reading skills each week. If interested in this program, make sure to register your child for each session and download the Parent Permission Form.
Do you have special activities you do at home with your children to support what they learn at school? Share them in the comments section!
