Helping children to avoid learning loss over the summer will be the focus of a free parent workshop Tuesday evening, May 23, at Springmill Learning Center, 1200 Nestor Drive.
Theme of the 6-7:30 p.m. program is “How to Stop Summer Slide.”
Free reading and math materials will be sent home with families. There will be snacks and beverages and child care for toddlers up to elementary age.
“Basically, we are giving parents and guardians tools to prevent the summer academic loss that occurs when students don’t read very much during our 10-week vacation,” said Gabe Costa, principal of Springmill STEM Elementary and the Spanish Immersion School.
“Students who do little to no reading or math over the summer can enter middle school up to two years behind their classmates who read regularly over the summer and attend academic camps. We’re also going to talk about math activities parents and guardians can do with their children and the importance of maintaining a routine, albeit a different one, even during vacation time.”
Several community groups, including the Mansfield-Richland County Public Library, will be present to discuss parent supports and summer activities in the Mansfield area. Math and reading specialists will be available along with a parent coach from Family Life Counseling.