Summer Learning Aids

As most of you are aware, my day job is teaching.  The majority of my experience (10 years) was in fourth-grade, but I have now taught one year of sixth-grade. I wanted to share some educational websites with parents that can help prevent the loss of learning progress over the Summer break.  With the introduction of Common Core standards to many states, including my state of Ohio, students have been exposed to new skills.  The following websites focus on the Common Core standards. I should note that I am sharing both of these programs as a teacher.  I am receiving no compensation of any type for sharing these with you.

ScootPad is offering a Summer program for both ELA (English language arts) and math.  The great thing about ScootPad is that it is adaptive. This means that the activities given to the students will vary based on how the student performs.  It will change based on what the student already knows and the areas that need improvement. For each skill, there will be a short video example and then practice. I tried this program with my students for about a month when I was trying out various programs in order to choose one to use next school year.  The student reviews were positive. 


The Summer program is $29.99 per student, and those enrolled will be able to use the program until August 31st.  But, parents must enroll their children by July 17th.  Those who complete the program will receive a free t-shirt.


TenMarks is similar to SchootPad, except that it is only for math. Another major difference is that the summer program is free! I have not personally used this program because I only teach ELA. However, the math teachers at my school use it and speak highly of it. The math teachers at my school even offer extra credit to students who print out the certificate to show that they completed the Summer program.  Like ScootPad, TenMarks is also adaptive.  Students are given an assessment and then are provided activities to help them progress in weak areas. Parents even receive email updates on student progress.


As a teacher, I know how important it can be to help students retain what they learned the previous school year.  Of course, it is Summer, and every student needs time to relax, enjoy the sunshine, and recharge.  These programs can provide a fun, interactive way to help prevent the summer slide.