Summer vacation is still going strong for many students in San Diego County, and you know what that means – water slides, fun, and more water slides! But hold on, there’s something called the “summer slide” that might sneak up on us. This occurs during summer break when students lose some of the knowledge they gained during the school year.
Only 48% of parents with school-age children have even heard of the summer slide, much less know how to combat it.
But there are some fun and easy ways the internet can help students – and their parents and caregivers – counteract the effects of the summer slide.
Don’t let the ‘summer slide’ happen to your kids! Here are FIVE awesome ways to keep those young minds sharp while having a blast, with thanks to Cox Communications!
Free Game-based Programs
After a day outdoors, at the beach or camp, students can continue to keep their minds engaged with online educational games. Search by grade level and topic (from reading and language to math and science) at Common Sense Media, which also offers reviews of the games.
Summer Reading
The simple act of reading a blog post, news article or book out loud to another person can help with reading comprehension and vocabulary. Have your child or teen find a blog or story on a topic that interests them. Maybe they prefer soccer over science, music over math or Harry Potter over history. Or maybe STEM (science, technology engineering and math) is their favorite topic. An online search will help them and you find age-appropriate reading material.
Learn with Them
Make summer learning about fun family time and creating memories and new traditions. Have trivia game nights to let them sharpen their skills or create a family summer book club. Take your book club to another level by having movie night and watching the movie version of the book. Cox’s Contour TV lets you easily stream movies and shows through your Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video accounts, among others.
Learn a New Language
Afraid your child will lose that Spanish or French vocabulary during the summer break? Spend some time practicing with them or use a free language app.
Cox Digital Academy
Students and their family members can sharpen their digital literacy skills through free educational videos, tutorials and games for students of all ages, including links to 30 Cool Things Kids Can Learn Online (for Free!).
Sign up for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)
Getting connected is the beginning of any online learning journey, but despite significant progress over the past decade, internet access remains a major challenge for lower income households. This forces some families to turn to restaurants, libraries, and other public places to connect – which is inconvenient and cumbersome for already busy families. Households that participate in the National School Lunch Program, SNAP, federal public housing, WIC, or other federal assistance programs – could qualify for the ACP and receive up to $30 a month for their home internet service to keep their families connected.
Cox offers several low-cost internet options and works with schools and community partners to bridge the digital divide so that all students can continue learning when they’re not in the classroom.
- Cox’s Connect2Compete program for K-12 families provides home internet for $9.95 a month to qualifying families.
- Cox also offers a $30 a month ConnectAssist option for lower income households without school-age children such as retirees, veterans and college students.
Coupled with the ACP’s $30 a month credit, Connect2Compete and ConnectAssist are giving qualifying households access to free internet service.
If you’re not in the Cox service area, be sure to check with your internet provider to see if they participate in the ACP.
If you or someone you know could benefit from these offerings, visit www.cox.com/digitalequity so the only sliding your family is doing this summer is at the park or poolside.
