Another school year has come and gone, and if you are like most parents, after the first week, your kids are still running through the house singing "School's Out for Summer," by Alice Cooper and you are wringing your hands singing the "The Thrill is Gone," by B.B. King!

The past two years have been tough on parents and teachers, but they have been especially hard on our children. With the bases loaded, Covid threw a curve ball at education, that even the most well-trained parents, teachers and children were ill-equipped to hit. The longitudinal studies on the impact of Covid to "learning loss" in children started almost immediately. The studies are measuring everything from the impact on potential lifetime earnings, to grade-level readiness, and college preparedness, just to name a few. 

The learning loss due to Covid-19 and its variants has even earned it, its own name, the Covid Slide, not to be confused with the popular line dances the Electric Slide or the Cha Cha Slide. Educators have known about learning loss long before the Corona Virus. The term has been associated with the loss that takes place during a prolonged absence from school-in other words, it was most often associated with the eight-to-ten-week absence during summer vacation. According to the U.S. Department of Education, "students experience learning loss when they do not engage in educational activities during the summer months. On average, students lose the equivalent of two months of math and reading skills during the summer months." Schools in the United States averaged a minimum additional loss of 3.5-5.5 months of in-school instruction during school shut-downs due to Covid. 

It can be tough to keep children engaged in the learning process during the dog days of summer, but it is more important now than ever, that our children continue to be engaged in learning activities during the summer months. Research shows 2-3 hours of educational activities a week, and continued reading can reduce the impact of learning loss on student academic performance. 

As the Education Liaison for Wreaths Across America, this month I would like to highlight the wonderful education materials made available by one of our Teach Initiative Partners-The Eisenhower Foundation's IKEducation. IKEducation is committed to providing free materials that foster students' knowledge of the life and times of Dwight D. Eisenhower through the examination of primary sources." There are fun activities and resources available for all grade levels, and their learning materials are available on the Wreaths Across America Teach Page!!

Cindy Tatum

Cindy Tatum is the Past President of American Gold Star Mothers, Inc. and a retired teacher. She recently joined Wreaths Across America as our new Curriculum Developer to support the expanded TEACH program. Read the expanded TEACH program announcement here or download materials at wreathsacrossamerica.org/teach.