Using Walkabouts to Help Reduce Summer Slide

As the weather starts to get warmer, our thoughts turn to summer. According to the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA), “Summer learning is a key solution to closing academic and opportunity gaps that plague many communities across the country.”

From NSLA:

Summer is a time of great inequity for young people. Over the summer many young people and their families lose access to critical supports that keep them safe, healthy, and engaged in learning. The summer ‘opportunity gap’ contributes to gaps in achievement that persist and widen over time, particularly for low-income students.

How can teachers help students keep learning after the school year has ended? With Walkabouts! Did you know that Walkabouts are available to students both at school and at home? If students have a computer and an internet connection, they can complete Walkabouts at home! With summer right around the corner, teachers can set up student accounts for students to use Walkabouts during the summer. Simply login and click Manage teams and students. Click the Student tab, and click Create Student. Fill in the information, click Create new account, and the student’s login credentials will be emailed to the address you entered.

Teachers can also print Walksheets for students to take home and complete over the summer. Walksheets can be used to review skills covered in students’ current grade and to preview the grade ahead, if applicable. Simply log in and click Print pdf practice lessons to select and print a variety of Walksheets. With Walkabouts, learning can continue when the school year ends!

The National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) offers research on various topics as well as summer learning tips for teachers and parents. Click here to view a PDF teachers can print and send home with students at the end of the school year.