It’s almost summer! School will be out for the year but it’s
really important that learning isn’t over.
The National Summer Learning Association is leading the way to wake up
the public, business, and legislators to the importance of summer learning
opportunities and the devastating effects of summer learning loss. Check out their website to learn more about
the facts cited below. "SUMMER LEARNING"
“To succeed in school
and life, children and young adults need ongoing opportunities to learn and
practice essential skills. This is especially true during the summer months.
Many Americans have a
wonderful image of summer as a carefree, happy time when "kids can be
kids,” and take for granted the prospect of enriching experiences such as
summer camps, time with family, and trips to museums, parks, and libraries.
Unfortunately, some
youth face anything but idyllic summer months. When the school doors close,
many children struggle to access educational opportunities, as well as basic
needs such as healthy meals and adequate adult supervision.
Did You Know?
- All
young people experience learning losses when they do not engage in
educational activities during the summer. Research spanning 100 years
shows that students typically score lower on standardized tests at the end
of summer vacation than they do on the same tests at the beginning of the
summer (White, 1906; Heyns, 1978; Entwisle & Alexander 1992; Cooper,
1996; Downey et al, 2004).
- Most
students lose about two months of grade level equivalency in mathematical
computation skills over the summer months. Low-income students also lose
more than two months in reading achievement, despite the fact that their
middle-class peers make slight gains (Cooper, 1996).
- More
than half of the achievement gap between lower- and higher-income youth
can be explained by unequal access to summer learning opportunities. As a
result, low-income youth are less likely to graduate from high school or
enter college (Alexander et al, 2007).
- Children
lose more than academic knowledge over the summer. Most
children—particularly children at high risk of obesity—gain weight more
rapidly when they are out of school during summer break (Von Hippel et al,
2007).
- Parents
consistently cite summer as the most difficult time to ensure that their
children have productive things to do (Duffett et al, 2004).
After you check it
out, let us know what you think.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Let us know what you think...