How do Summer Programs for Kids Prevent Summer Learning Loss?

In 1996, a professor of education at Duke University, Harris Cooper, looked at 39 studies examining the effects of summer vacation on test scores. The results he achieved are arguably the most popular scientific evidence we have of summer learning loss today.

Cooper studied children’s scores on standardized tests just before the start of summer vacation and in the fall, when the children return to school. The fall scores were a month lower. Naturally he concluded that students can lose a month of academic achievement over the summer.

Why does Summer Vacation Hurt Kids Academically?

The idea of keeping schools shut during summer is an old one. It was proposed some 100 years ago to let children stay out of school so that they could help their parents with agriculture during the harvest months. It worked well because back then because 85 percent Americans were involved in agriculture. But today, when only 3 percent of Americans earn their living from agriculture, the old idea needs an update.

Today, many children spend their summer watching TV, browsing the web, chatting. Only a few care to revise what they have learned and most throw away their books for a month or two. As a result, when they return to school in the fall, they struggle and their teachers have to spend a lot of time on review.

But if that is an issue, why isn't anyone doing anything about it?

A Country Obsessed with Summer

Over the past century Americans have developed a kind of an obsession with the summer break. Any attempts to reduce summer vacation or extend the academic year from the 9 months to 10, 11 or 12 months meet with fierce resistance. Entire industries depend on entertaining kids when they are not in school. In fact, things have taken such a bad shape that in some quarters summer breaks are considered an inviolable birthright.

Does that mean there is not a way out?

Yes, there is.

Possible Solutions

Cooper did not stop at identifying the problem. He proposed three solutions. One of them was extending the academic year. Though it sounds good in theory, the idea is not workable in most states, including New Jersey, where governments are reducing education budgets.

In our current political climate, changing the academic calendar will probably take forever. So it is not workable.

But a third idea of Cooper’s can be used with a little change to help prevent your kids’ academic performance from sliding during summer.

He proposed sending your kids to a summer school, but that is not feasible for all parents. A better solution can be to find summer camps for kids and let your child spend time there anywhere from 2-8 weeks. A summer program for kids has several advantages over summer school. Your child gets to meet new people, learns to be independent and—if the camp offers STEM activities—excels in mathematics and science.

Takeaway

Summer learning loss is real and there is scientific evidence for it. But you can prevent it from happening to your child by sending him away to a summer day camp that offers sports as well as STEM activities.

Eagle’s Landing Day Camp offers more than 30 activities to campers, including many sports, arts and STEM experiments. Letting your child join the kids at Eagle’s Landing can help him or her in their studies. You can read about the complete Eagle’s Landing program at http://eagleslandingdaycamp.com/Programs.html and contact them.

4 Things to Know Before Sending Your Child to a Summer Day Camp in NJ

Although it is still January, many parents are already looking for summer programs for their kids. Parents start their search so long in advance for many reasons, but the main ones are securing a place in a coveted camp that will help their children grow and  massive early-bird discounts. But, as with all things in life, an early start is no guarantee for success. It takes more than a long search to find the suitable camp for your little ones—you need to know how to conduct your research in the right way.

Being someone who has been running a summer camp in NJ for the past 20 years, I have a few tips to offer on how best to secure a summer camp for your child in New Jersey that will help him or her grow.

Determine your child’s interest before sending him to a specialized camp

If your child is interested in magic tricks, not mathematics, you will do more harm than good by sending him to a math camp. In the same way, if your child is a mathematics prodigy, it is no use sending him to a sports camp. First, determine what your child is interested in and then kick off your hunt for a camp.

Tell the camp of any special needs your child may have

Is your child gluten intolerant? Or is she painfully shy? Share this information with the camp organizers before you enroll. The camp will either say they cannot accommodate your special needs, or they will make arrangements to. In either case, it will turn out to be good for the health of your child.

For children, experience matters more than results

A 4- or 8-week camp is not going to prepare your child (if she is interested in acting) for Hollywood or (if she is interested in programming) turn him into a professional coder. So expecting the impossible will bring stress, but little more. Let your child experience what they like, cooking, acting, computer programming or swimming for a few weeks and then let him decide for himself if he really wants to dive deeper into the activity.

Find the right age-group for your child

It may not be fun for your child to join a group of 11-year-olds if he  is only 7- years -old. Your child may be advanced for his age, but that does not mean he should be in a group with children twice his age. Sending your child to an age-appropriate summer camp for kid allows them to develop emotionally, mentally and physically.

When you look for a summer camp for your child, make sure it caters to your child’s interests, is accommodating to his needs and offers memorable experiences through an age-appropriate group.

How Long Should You Send Your Kid Away to a Camp?

Kid’s summer camps foster independence in your children, boost their self-esteem and instill leadership qualities into them. They also expose your little ones to America’s social diversity and help them acquire new interests and skills. But to benefit from a kids’ summer program, your child needs to spend an optimal number of days in a camp. Too few days, and your child may not learn anything at all. And sending your child away for too many days is not always a wise use of your hard-earned money.

So how long should your child stay at a camp for kids? Although there are no rules written in stone, there are guidelines that can help you.

Benefits of Short Camps (2-4 weeks)

Here are the top four benefits of sending your child away to a short camp:

Convenient for Families
It is usually easier to fit a two or three-week-long camp into your family’s summer schedule than an eight-week event.

Convincing for First-Timers
If your child has never attended a kid’s summer camp, it becomes an uphill task to convince him to go to an eight-week camp. But you can easily convince him to give a two- or three-week camp a try.

Easier to Locate in your Neighborhood
It is easier to find short camps for kids in your neighborhood because their terms start frequently.

Suitable for Budget-Constrained Parents
Short camps are perfect for budget-constrained parents. For instance, Eagle’s Day Landing Camp—a popular NJ day camp—charges only $1,350 for a two-week camp but rates can climb to $4,500 for some eight-week camps.

Benefits of Long Camps (4-8 weeks)

Sending your child to a long kid’s summer camp has its own advantages. Here are the top four:

Real Learning Happens in Long Camps
It usually takes new campers 1-2 weeks to adjust to the environment in a camp. This is the period when children are nervous. Only long camps allow your children to leave behind the nervous phase, grow into explorers and learn new things.

Your Kids can Relish all Activities
Leading NJ day camps offer more than 30 activities, ranging from horseback riding to computer programming. The kids in a long camp can relish and benefit from all these activities.

Friends-for-Life are Found
Two weeks is a short period to make good friends with strangers. You need to spend morea good time to develop a relationship. In long camps your child can make friends who will be with him throughout his life.

Long Camps: Higher Value 
If you calculate daily costs, long camps are a real value. Eagle’s Day Landing Camp’s two-week program for 3-5-year-olds comes with a price tag of $1,350 but their eight-week program costs only $3,000. It means your daily costs come down by almost 50 percent.
There is no such thing as an ideal duration for a kid’s summer camp. Both short and long camps have their advantages. You should choose the one that gives your child the best chances to grow without becoming hectic or breaking your bank.

Still confused? If you live in NJ and want to know how long your child should be away at an NJ day camp, you can speak to on Eagle’s Landing at 732-821-9155. We offer 2-8 week day camps with 30+ activities on a 20-acre shaded area in North Brunswick.