Ever heard of the “summer slide”? As of 2018, 47% of parents with school-age children hadn’t.
This loss of academic skills that can happen over the summer months is often attributed largely to a lack of reading. And this year, the NWEA projects students could return to school nearly a full year behind – a.k.a. the COVID slide.
94% of parents agree that reading over the summer can help children during the school year. Enter: United Way of the Midlands’ Summer Read-a-thon – which starts today.
How it works:
- Volunteers from Always United (retirement-age United Way supporters) will be reading books via live stream and YouTube online throughout the summer.
- Parents with children in kindergarten through second grade are encouraged to share these videos with their children to keep them engaged in learning activities throughout the summer.
- It all starts today at 5 p.m., featuring United Way MRC Program Manager Kimberly House. Big thanks to Scholastic for permission to share their books with local students online.
