Study after study shows that children suffer from the summer slide when school is not in session. But the answer doesn't have to be - and shouldn't be - contained only within the walls of a school. And, given the severe budget cuts that Bay Area schools are facing, it can't be.

The onus is on parents to keep kids' minds actively engaged - and it doesn't just mean another summer reading program. Children spend five times as much time outside school as they do in the classroom, most heavily concentrated in the summer, so parents are the best ones to prevent summer learning loss.

A study just released by the Rand Corp. found that students experience the most benefits when summer programs include individualized instruction, parental involvement and small class sizes.

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Filed under: * Culture-Watch • Children • Education • Marriage & Family

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