A child reads to her grandmother, who is holding a cat, at the Ashland Mall in 2016.

The Kentucky Department of Education has launched a series of Summer Support webpages in partnership with The Children’s Reading Foundation to help prevent the summer slide. Keeping students learning over the summer months is especially important this year given the cancellation of in-person classes in March due to COVID-19.
Photo by Bobby Ellis, July 12, 2016

(FRANKFORT, KY) – The Kentucky Department of Education has launched a series of Summer Support webpages in partnership with The Children’s Reading Foundation and the Summer Food Service Program that contain learning resources for both literacy and mathematics.

The Children’s Reading Foundation aims to reverse the summer slide, an annual event where school-age children can lose up to three months of reading skills during the summer break. The summer support pages offer information and resources to encourage students and families to make learning a part of daily summer routines in communities across Kentucky. The online support pages will feature a virtual read-aloud series that will allow children to listen to stories read by guests.

“We hope families will be able to find ideas and resources they can use to keep their kids learning during the summer months,” Interim Commissioner Kevin C. Brown said. “Due to the extended use of non-traditional instruction this school year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s more important than ever to try to keep our children’s minds active and learning throughout the summer so they will be ready to hit the ground running when school reopens.”