{"id":1684,"date":"2026-05-26T22:34:33","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T22:34:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tampamovingjournal.com\/?p=1684"},"modified":"2026-05-26T22:34:33","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T22:34:33","slug":"bay-area-nonprofit-helps-battle-the-summer-slide-with-everyday-reading-tips-for-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tampamovingjournal.com\/?p=1684","title":{"rendered":"Bay Area nonprofit helps battle the ‘summer slide’ with everyday reading tips for kids"},"content":{"rendered":"

TAMPA, Fla.<\/strong> – <\/span>As summer break approaches, local educators and parents are fighting the “summer slide” by integrating literacy into everyday activities to keep children engaged.<\/p>

Read more Tampa issues hundreds of watering fines for violations during historic drought: Here are ways to save water<\/a><\/p>

Florida last in national reading study<\/h2>

By the numbers:<\/p>

The Education Scorecard \u2013 which is a collaboration between researchers at Harvard University, Stanford University and Dartmouth College \u2013 released a study in May, showing Florida ranks 35th\u00a0out of the 35 states they studied for reading. They looked at state test results for students in third through eighth grade between 2022 and 2025.<\/p>

<\/div>

Reading struggles\u00a0<\/h2>

Staff with the Hillsborough County nonprofit, Children\u2019s Home Network, have seen some of the state\u2019s reading challenges firsthand.<\/p>

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“A lot of our kiddos are coming in with two to three grade levels behind,” Tosha Johnson, the SEEDS program director at the Children\u2019s Home Network, told FOX 13. “Right now, I can think of a fourth grader who came into our program recently who’s reading at a first grade reading level.”<\/p>

Support expands as demand grows<\/h2>

The backstory:<\/p>

The Supporting and Empowering Educational and Developmental Services (SEEDS) Program\u00a0already helps around 425 kids \u2013 ages three-years-old up to fifth grade \u2013 boost their reading levels. They also teach parents how to keep those skills sharp at home.<\/p>

But right now, demand is outpacing the supply.<\/p>

“It\u2019s one of our biggest challenges. We have close to 300 children who are waiting for SEED services,” Johnson said.<\/p>

Reinforcing reading at home<\/h2>

What you can do:<\/p>

While families wait for a spot, staff with the SEEDS program invites them to literacy workshops and sends them resources. They also provide sneaky ways parents can slip learning and reading practice into everyday life.<\/p>

Experts recommend turning on closed captioning when watching television, so children can see and hear words at the same time. Parents can also have children write out the grocery list or help with dinner.<\/p>

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“They’re now reading recipes, so they’re having to go through, read the recipe, and maybe even jot down what they need. So that can be like a reading as well as a math [lesson],” Johnson said.<\/p>

Daily literary practice<\/h2>

What they’re saying:<\/p>

Vera Gilmore is a Bay Area mom of four biological children. The special education teacher and author is also a foster parent \u2013 so she knows the end of the school year can be tough!<\/p>

“I know every parent can relate to the whole \u2018dress your kid up for this day,\u2019” Gilmore said, giving just one example of many typical end-of-year festivities. “So, it\u2019s exhausting those last couple weeks!”<\/p>

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Gilmore knows it\u2019s easy to relax and play all summer long \u2013 and more difficult to work on reading literacy.<\/p>

So, for her family, they prevent the summer slide by choosing the right book for a family book club.<\/p>

“We always keep it nice and easy. So that entry-level chapter book that\u2019s still super engaging, but it’s also something that my seven-year-old could read, all the way up to my 15-year-old, and then still have that conversation about it,” Gilmore, who\u2019s in the middle of writing her third book, said.<\/p>

Read more St. Pete police arrest 2 more teens in deadly shooting of 14-year-old<\/a><\/p> <\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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