Governor Otter proclaimed July 12, 2018 to be “Summer Learning Day” in Idaho.

The day is observed throughout the United States to raise awareness of the importance of keeping youth safe, healthy, and learning throughout the summer. More than 30 years of studies consistently show that students who do not continue reading over the summer can lose several months of academic progress.1

For example, in Idaho, 76 percent of low-income kindergartners were reading at grade level in the spring of 2016. When they returned to school as first-graders in the fall, only 57 percent were reading at grade level.2 This type of learning loss leads to an achievement gap that is cumulative and can leave low-income students up to three years behind their peers.3

Whatever role you play in support of your library — staff member, trustee, volunteer, or  member of the friends group — you are also a “brand ambassador” for your library and its many amazing offerings — like summer reading (and learning!).

So, let parents, grandparents, caregivers — even the lady in line behind you for coffee — know about the many ways libraries help curtail the “summer slide” of learning loss and aid our kids in preparing for their future.

 

For Summer Learning Day images you can download and use, visit our Meme Gallery.

(To download:  After opening the image, right-click, and click “save image as.”)

Sources: 1Summer Reading: Closing the Rich/Poor Achievement Gap by Richard L. Allington and Anne McGill-Franzen, 2013.  2State of Idaho Department of Education.  3National Summer Learning Association.