TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) \u2013 With less than a month before school starts back, Leon County Schools officials are urging parents and families to start preparing students now to help them have a successful year.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven if you haven\u2019t brushed up on those skills or you haven\u2019t been reading every night, start now,\u201d Desoto Trail Elementary Assistant Principal Megan Keen said. \u201cIt\u2019s just super important that you\u2019re reading at least 20 minutes a night.\u201d <\/p>\n
This is in an effort to avoid what\u2019s referred to as the \u201csummer slide,\u201d a term used to describe children losing academic skills, particularly in reading and math, during the summer break. <\/p>\n
According to Scholastic, younger children are at a higher risk for academic loss because they are learning more at an early age and they are still developing their skills.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith exercising, you can\u2019t just jump right in – or a marathon – you can\u2019t just immediately, the day of, start running and make it all the way. You\u2019ve got to practice and brush up and prepare,\u201d Keen said. \u201cSo very similar for our students that they prepare and get brushed up, so that way, when they come into the school year, they\u2019re ready to go.\u201d <\/p>\n
According to the LCS Director of Elementary Schools, Anicia Robinson, working with kids now can help get them more excited for school. <\/p>\n
More Tallahassee News<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re confident in the skills that they have. They\u2019re eager to show off to their classmates and their teachers all the things that they already know,\u201d Robinson said. \u201cSo, we want to continue to encourage that in our community to make sure everyone\u2019s ready.\u201d <\/p>\n
Robinson also pointed out that practicing reading and math doesn\u2019t always have to be in a formal setting for kids. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re reading billboards when you\u2019re riding around town, license plates, allowing your students to order off the menu, especially our elementary kids, and order for themselves and be able to read those things,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
She also mentioned that regaining a sense of structure for students now can help in transitioning back to school. <\/p>\n
\u201cStart setting the structure for bedtimes, those routines, following directions at home,\u201d Robinson said. \u201cWith our high school kids, not sleeping all day. Get them up in the morning, get them back to that early wake-up time so they know what the expectations are.\u201d <\/p>\n
The first day of school for Leon County students is Aug. 12. LCS says parents can start registering and viewing bus routes on July 23.<\/p>\n
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