Soon, if not already, students are heading off to a summer vacation and a special hope is that time is given for all to do some reading and some writing in addition to their use of their I-phone. I find that the students often need a slight push on the “suggested reading lists” that have been popular for all grades as a component in addition to some exercise and relaxation over the next couple of months.
For some students, a summer job is ahead which is most definitely advocated for a great deal of reasons including some funding and getting used to the concept of potential work after graduation, as well as making some vital contacts to access a position in their post-graduation years or even earlier. Reading and writing over the summer is often a more complicated task as so many students seem to reduce the use of these skills, which often shows as the student advances to higher education or a career. National studies have commented on the loss of writing skills over recent decades, which can be a real problem.
We grant the fact that so much is done on the computer in the world we live, but the reality is that writing is just as important and seems to have been placed on the back burner in recent years and it shows in college and in physician prescriptions and other areas as the basic process of writing memos or notes to colleagues and officials who employ students often are illegible.
Reading is also a difficult issue to address but in addition to available school lists, local librarians are great to make suggestions as I am sure you are aware. The key is to get the students to read and write over the summer, which is easier to say than to do.
Happy summer,
Paul (M.A.S.S.)
JETTY defined as a pier or structure of stones, piles or the like, projecting into the sea or other body of water to protect a harbor and deflect the current