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.