School has been out for a couple weeks now for most students and though they’re not in class, educators say it’s crucial that they keep their minds even during the summer months.

Kevin Vidergar is the Director of Teaching and Learning for the Perry School District, the says there’s one thing in particular that can help make a big difference for students.

“Read, read, read that’s the number one thing that can happen.  Kids read, the parents read to the kids.  It doesn’t have to be novels, it can be comic books, it could be magazine articles, it could be newspaper articles and then talk like when you listen to the radio or watch the news, talk to each other and engage in a conversation” says Vidergar.

And if they don’t, Vidergar says there can be setbacks when school resumes.

“Some kids, if they are not engaged in reading, where ever they ended in the spring, when the fall starts they will have dropped even lower than that.  So they will actually lose ground from where they were the previous school year.  If they could read a little bit every day that would be ideal.”

There are several opportunities for students in Perry to have fun reading in the summer, including program at the Perry Public Library and through the PACES program.