What is summer learning loss? Does it exist? How does it affect students today?
About half a century later, the achievement gap between low and high-income students is still unchanged. Despite being a widely discussed and hotly debated issue, the gap is now two times larger than it was when it was first brought to the limelight back in the 1950s.
Even though there are various culprits behind this widening gap, summer learning loss is termed as one of the major contributing factors. What is summer learning loss? Does it exist?
How does it affect students today? If you’re hearing about this phenomenon for the first time, described herein is all you need to know about it.
What Is Summer Learning Loss?
To many students, summer means lazy beach days, lounging at the poolside, and road trips upon road trips. For many of them, summer and books just don’t seem like a good mix. This is where the concept of summer learning loss enters the picture.
Also known as summer slide or brain drain, summer learning loss refers to the loss of accumulated academic skills or knowledge throughout the summer holidays. This loss varies depending on the student’s socioeconomic status, grade level, as well as subject matter.
However, on average, every student, regardless of the stated factors, is said to lose approximately a months-worth of academic knowledge!
When broken down further, studies show that students tend to experience a sharper decline in Mathematical subjects than they do with reading subjects. Also, the extent of the summer slide increases as the student advances to higher grade levels.
History of Summer Brain Drain: How It Came to the Limelight
For you to understand the concept of summer reading loss, we must take a walk down memory lane. When the first formal schooling system was established, the school calendar was designed to fit the needs of every community. Children from some communities enjoyed longer summer holidays as they took early breaks to give a hand to their families in planting.
They also took longer breaks in the fall to help with harvesting. Students also had long breaks due to the rising temperatures in summer, which made it impossible for them to learn comfortably.
However, as time went by, the increasing rural-urban migration created the need to equalize summer breaks. Also, the evolving technology led to the incorporation of air conditioning systems in schools, making learning more comfortable. This is, in turn, gave rise to the present 9-month school calendar.
However, it’s vital to note that while it was perfect for that period, the 9-month calendar no longer suits the current generation. Why? Well, back then 85% of American households relied upon and were heavily involved in agriculture.
Today, things have changed drastically, and only 3% of American families are involved in agriculture.
How is this connected to summer learning loss? Well, seeing the changes that took place due to rural-urban migration, educators, and concerned scientists began taking note of how the summer break affected learners. This gave rise to the summer learning loss, a concept that became widely researched between the 1950s and 1980s.
All the studies came to one common conclusion; the long summer vacation caused a break in the constant rhythm of instructions. This, in turn, led to students forgetting what they had learned in the previous term.
As a result, a majority of them began the new term with lower achievement levels. This phenomenon also forced teachers to spend a lot of time playing catch-up instead of proceeding with new topics.
Does Summer Learning Loss Exist Today?
The short answer to that is, yes. Even though we are in 2019, summer learning loss is still a significant problem. If anything, it has worsened, and now, 9 out of 10 teachers are left with no option but to play catch up at the beginning of fall.
Its effects are still the same as noted earlier. That is, on average, students lose approximately a month’s worth of knowledge. Here are some of the contributing factors:
Socioeconomic Status
Studies and surveys conducted over the years show significant differences in the learning rate during summer between low and high-income students. Even though all students experience learning losses during summer, those who hail from humble backgrounds tend to be affected even more.
This prevalence of loss among low-income students is attributed to the fact that during summer break, a majority of them have to worry about domestic problems such as where to stay or get food. Also, the environment that a majority of them reside in doesn’t support educational growth.
Those who hail from middle and high-income backgrounds, on the other hand, experience gains. This happens for several reasons. First, they don’t have to worry about anything.
Second, they are more privileged, hence can attend summer enrichment programs or even hire an in-house tutor during the three-month break. Lastly, their environment supports educational growth.
Concerning that, students from low-income families experience nearly three months of academic loss. On the other hand, their peers from middle and high-income backgrounds only experience a learning loss of approximately two months in reading and math.
Lack of Parental Involvement
Other than disparities in family income, lack of parental involvement in the student’s life also contributes majorly to summer learning loss. When a parent takes the front seat in their child’s education, the kid in question is more likely to experience gains.
For instance, when parents are always there to motivate and congratulate them even when they make slight progress, students develop a positive attitude towards learning. This, in turn, results in better performance.
Unfortunately, most parents, especially in low-income communities, are often not there for their kids during summer. This means that the student is often left to figure it out on their own. As you know, learning is not something most students like!
Therefore, without parental guidance, they’re more likely to choose a day at the beach or the movies over learning. This, in turn, results in significant losses of academic knowledge.
Subject and Grade Level
The subject also matters. As noted earlier, students forget more of what they learned in Math than in reading. Also, the higher the grade level, the more complex the subjects, resulting in higher learning losses. For instance, students in middle school experience less summer learning loss in comparison to their counterparts in high school.
Suggested Solutions
The alarming rates of learning loss during summer break have seen educational experts and other independent bodies suggest solutions to help put the problem to rest. Some of the proposed solutions include:
Year-Round Education
This is by far the most promising solution to address learning loss. Year-round education refers to when the breaks are spread out throughout the year, thereby reducing the length of summer break. This means that students still get to enjoy their holiday only that they’ll be shorter, preventing the break in continuous instruction rhythm.
An Extended School Year
Experts suggest that the education ministry does away with the current nine-month calendar and creates a balanced calendar. However, this suggestion has been met with both support and criticism. For instance, some experts think that more school days lead to fatigue. Others argue that unless there’s a change in strategies, extended school years won’t be fruitful.
However, those who support the suggestion believe that reducing the number of days spent without learning and instruction will go a long way in reducing summer learning loss.
Evidenced-Based Ways to Prevent the Summer Slide
Now that you know summer learning is real, what can you do to avoid the loss of academic knowledge that your kids experience during summer? Try out the following evidence-based tips and prevent the brain drain that comes with three months of vacation.
Increase Parental Involvement
Parental involvement is the key to reducing summer learning loss. Therefore, as a parent of a student, create time within your busy schedule to spend time with your kids not only during summer but the entire school year.
Study with them in the morning when their minds are most active and before you start your busy day ahead. Visit the museum, zoo, and indulge in other activities that are educational and fun for both of you.
Start a Reading Program
While they lose more in math, they also tend to experience summer reading loss. For that, create a reading program to keep them busy while you’re at work. Help them select books that are both exciting and at the same time, contain content that enables them to stretch their skills. Ask them to read and do exercises during the day when you’re away, and ensure you go through them together in the evenings.
Get Techy
We are in an era where learners prefer to be glued to their phones and TV screens all day over socializing. If your child is this kind of student, don’t confiscate their devices. Modern kids call for modern parenting.
Therefore, get them to learn by encouraging them to download educational apps. If your child is still young, start a tech project together and challenge them to projects on educational apps.
STEM Summer Camps
There’re weeks that your schedule is usually too tight. This is normal and part of every working schedule. During these days, you can’t afford to engage in any of the activities listed above.
To ensure no time is wasted, look for, and register your child for a STEM summer camp. These camps not only keep your child busy but are also fun. The good news is that due to their popularity, STEM camps are more affordable nowadays.
Learn More about Summer Learning Loss Today
Other than the above tips, there are more steps that you can take as a parent to beat summer learning loss. Visit our page for additional resources.
