Concern over the summer slide and efforts to alleviate it continue throughout the country. The summer break is being viewed less as two months of vacation and more as a span of time during which continued learning can be included. Summer programs take on additional urgency in light of the fact that low-income children tend to experience the most severe learning loss because their families often can't afford the enrichment activities and learning opportunities offered in the larger community. That's why free school-based programs, like the one in Tennessee, can be an effective approach. 

Planning for summer learning programs, experts say, shouldn't wait until spring. Instead it should start now as students are returning to to school. It takes time work with partner organizations, review data, and get all components nailed down. The key aspects of the Tennessee program are high-quality books (students were sent home with about 25 to keep for their personal library), field trips, and teacher training.The centerpiece of the training was the development of a cadre of literacy coaches to work directly with the camp educators. The first two summers, the preparation focused on integrating authentic reading and texts into the daily camp curriculum, while this year increasing student interest in and stamina for writing was the priority. This emphasis on thoroughly preparing teachers dovetails with the realization that teachers can experience their own sort of summer slide that shouldn't ignored when putting together programs and other solutions intended to give students a significant boost.