We’re all familiar with the “summer slide” — the academic losses that many young people, especially in low-income communities, experience during the time they’re out of school. And you can read more about it at The Best Resources On The “Summer Slide.”

I help many of my students, particularly English Language Learners (who tend to be a little more intrinsically motivated than some of my mainstream students who face different challenges), register for “virtual classrooms” at various sites that they can use and where I can receive regular reports on their progress.

I make arrangements with their teacher next year to give them extra credit for their summer work, and regularly send them encouraging emails or messages on Facebook based on the progress I see they’re making (or not making).

It worked well last year, and I’m doing it again. Here are two detailed posts I published late last spring giving details about the sites I used, and I’m adding a few more. You can find a wealth of these kinds of sites at The Best Sites That Students Can Use Independently And Let Teachers Check On Progress:

How I’m Helping My Students Try To Avoid The “Summer Slide”

Part Two Of “How I’m Helping My Students Try To Avoid The “Summer Slide””

Let me know if you do anything similar and, if you do, what sites you use….