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[quote=Anonymous][quote]
The gap also widens each summer as kids from my Title One school don't have the opportunities that wealthier kids have. School just started last week and the highlight of the summer for most kids was going to the pool once or going to the ocean (Sandy Point). My DD went with me to NYC, Philly and Asheville this summer. We did a variety of activities in each place (historic, cultural, etc) except for FL where we went to Universal Studios. We went to the library every other week, she went to sleepaway camp for 2 weeks where she went horseback riding, sailing, hiking, camping, did archery and riflery, etc. I had her practice her multiplication facts and do a math workbook since it isn't her strongest subject. My students have none of these opportunities. When I start testing them tomorrow, many if not most of them will have lost a year's worth of ground in reading. If they started on reading level J last year and make it to level O, they will most likely test back around level J. That's what happens when they don't read at home despite having an online reading program available to them to use for free over the summer. You can lead a horse to water... It is frustrating and to top it off, the teachers are often blamed for this. [/quote]

I understand what you are saying as I also taught Title I.  However, my own kids did not have the type of summer you describe for your DD.  They did, however, go to the pool and were read to every day.  They were encouraged to read, etc.  I never pushed the workbooks, though. 
The kids don't require all those additional activities (although, it would be nice), but they do need to read and be talked with.  That is frequently missing with Title I kids.

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