May 18, 2023, WKYC Good Company
CLEVELAND, Oh. (WKYC)-Summer’s all about fun and sun and downtime activities are needed too, but how can we combat the dreaded summer slide or summer learning loss? Alli Frazier, CEO of Frazier Behavioral Health, joins Joe from Good Company to discuss how we can have fun while still keeping learning top of mind.
How is learning loss measured and is it a real concern? Educators and clinicians like those at Frazier Behavioral Health measure learning loss by looking at a child’s achievement at the end of May and then again at the beginning of the school year. The team at Frazier sees that kids typically see a dip in achievement over the summer months. Alli does state that there is controversy in the literature that leads to people wondering if learning loss is real or meaningful and does this outweigh the need for kids to be active and play all summer. Alli knows firsthand that summer learning loss is real and even more significant in those who are neurodiverse. “I was just at an education conference where the researcher showed that for children who receive special education services that learning loss is 6 times as prevalent as neurotypical children,” says Alli.
One thing parents can do to combat the summer slide is to incorporate learning into the summer fun activities. Alli suggests simple ideas like when you’re filling up the pool to use measurement which helps keep the math skills top of mind. She also suggests during downtime or at bedtime to include fun books that will keep their learning skills sharp. For preschool-age kids, Alli suggests the Llama Llama series. This series includes a lot of repetitive language that will increase language skills and also focuses on sharing. For kids going into Kindergarten Alli suggests “Clark the Shark”. This book is about a kindergartener shark that comes into the environment as a shark would, loud and aggressive. Throughout the book, he learns how to respect other people’s boundaries which is another great skill for kids of any age to learn. Lastly, Alli suggests “It’s My Way”, a series by Julie Cook, that’s about a young lady who is learning to be more flexible and keep her friends more comfortable.
When you come to the Frazier Behavioral Health office you’ll notice they have a lending library in their lobby. Alli and the team encourage anyone to take a book, bring a book, and keep those reading skills sharp all summer long.
To request a consult or connect with the experts at FBH, give them a call at 216-446-2944.
You’ll find them at 5885 Landerbrook Drive, Suite 310, Mayfield Heights, Ohio.
To watch the full segment on WKYC’s website please click here.