Internet Essentials: Tools to Support Learning Year Round

Summer is winding down and Southern Arizona families are looking toward the start of the school year. We recognize that the long break can have an adverse effect on some kids — particularly those from low-income backgrounds.

Summer learning loss – or the “summer slide” – is well-documented among researchers. Most students lose two months’ worth of math skills and two or three months of reading skills over summer break. In fact, 90 percent of teachers report they spend at least three weeks re-teaching lessons from the previous year, according to the National Summer Learning Association.

Because many families can’t afford to send their children to camps or provide extra learning opportunities during the summer, the learning loss contributes to a growing achievement gap between these students and their peers.

Comcast is working hard to help bridge that gap by making our Internet Essentials program part of the solution. Access to the Internet and digital technology is an integral learning tool in the 21st Century — particularly over the summer when kids aren’t in school.

Internet Essentials offers high speed Internet for just $9.95 per month, low-cost computer equipment, and a variety of online and in-person digital learning opportunities for eligible lower income students and their families.

Access to high-speed Internet at home is the first piece of the puzzle. Here are some additional ideas to combat summer learning loss and promote learning year-round:

• The Internet Essentials Learning Center has educational resources to help adults and kids make the most of what the Internet offers – and stay safe online.
• The public library has free enrichment programs throughout the summer for kids of all ages. Call your local branch to find out details.
• There are a handful of free websites that offer quality, educational content for kids (many sites charge subscription fees). These include PBS Kids and National Geographic Kids.
• Kahn Academy is a free resource that offers practice exercises and instructional videos in a variety of subject areas, at every academic level.

Comcast’s work to give every student the opportunity to succeed in Southern Arizona is rooted in the understanding that unequal access to information technology creates disparities in educational, social and economic achievement.

That’s why Internet Essentials is available to every family in a Comcast service area in Southern Arizona who has a child eligible for free or reduced school lunch. And, for families who attend a school where 40 percent or more of the population receives free or reduced lunch, every family who attends the school is eligible for the program. Click here to learn more.