For students, summer is a time for fun and play. It is also the time when children’s learning slides. Research (Brace, 2002a) shows that during the summer students forget many of the reading and math skills learned during the school year. This "summer slide" requires schools and teachers to spend valuable time during the next school year helping students "re-learn" lost skills, and it greatly reduces the time available to master new skills and subjects.
A child’s ability to succeed in school takes a partnership—one that begins at home and continues in school. To increase learning and stop the summer learning decline, the Michigan Department of Education has developed summer literacy activities for preschool, prekindergarten, and early elementary students to practice at home.
These activities are being distributed on a pilot basis as part of our ongoing effort to help teachers teach and children learn. Activities are aligned with the Michigan Curriculum Framework, Michigan Literacy Progress Profile and the No Child Left Behind Act.
All information contained in this publication may be printed, copied and given to parents as you choose. For example, you could print and copy a full English Language Arts activities for each parent, or select specific skill activities based on student need.
Acknowledgements The FAMILY FUNdamentals for Literacy activities were created with the help of teachers, parents, and reading specialists on the Michigan Department of Education's Early Literacy Committee.
Special thanks to Linda Wacyk, Jan Ellis, Steve Anderson, Bonnie Rockefellow, Annena McCleskey, Faith Stevens and Lindy Bush. Editorial Services and Publishing by Linda Wacyk, Partnership For Learning and Jon Mc Duffy. Prepress Layout and Design by Marilyn ( Sam ) Nesbitt. Illustrations by Carrie Strom
Contributors include:
Julie Ankrum
Julie Fredrick
Madonna Nanasi
Marvelle Vannest
Linda Ayres
Margarita Frommert
Gretchen Nataro
Mary Vliek
Gloria Bennett
Betsy Hannah
Sally Perkins
Elaine Weber
Cari Bushinski
Barbara Jaszcz
Kathy Petlicke
Ana Cardona
Jeanne Klaes
Elisabeth Pick
Beth Conway
Sue Madro
Marilyn Ostrander
Sheara Ferguson
Molly McGlynn
Karen Sizemore
Jill Fleming
Cindy Merkel
Sharen Turnbull
Additional Resources Today, there are literally thousands of web sites and resources that promote learning. The resources listed below represent just a few of these sites. Additional resources are available if you conduct a web search for "learning activities".
Almost all Michigan public libraries have summer reading programs. There are over 43,000 public library children programs throughout the state serving over 1 million children.
GRASP - A Michigan-based national summer reading and/or math coorespondence course for K-8 grade students
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