Have you ever wondered why some children struggle at the start of the school year? They may be suffering from summer learning loss, which affects students all across the country.
Read on to learn more about this phenomenon and how it impacts academic success.
The basics of summer learning loss
“Summer learning loss” is a phrase used to describe how young students regress in their academic progression due to a lack of structure and instruction. There are a few reasons for these issues, including academic opportunities available in the summer, parental involvement, and the strength of local school systems.
Low-income students are often the most susceptible to learning loss as they have fewer chances to review subjects with parental guides at home or attend summer tutoring sessions. They might be coming from a school with less funding, meaning their foundation before summer break is weaker than others. The impact of this phenomenon is long-lasting and progressive, making it one of the most pressing issues for American youth today.
Effects on student performance
The biggest effects of summer learning loss can be seen at the start of the fall semester. Many students struggle to get back into a groove, which negatively impacts their ability to learn new concepts. Some children may even forget key concepts from their previous school year, which slows down the classroom curriculum for everyone or, in the worst situations, leaves said students behind the pack.
It’s believed that the two most common subjects greatly impacted by summer break are math and reading, affecting mostly younger kids. However, the severity of summer learning loss increases with older students, especially high schoolers. While fewer high schoolers experience this phenomenon, the impact on the few who do is more catastrophic. Another problem subject for children is secondary language classes, making it essential to maintain Spanish studies over summer break, for example.
Long-term problems
Aside from struggling out of the gate, there are many long-term consequences to repeated summer learning loss. Most obviously, students who experience regression every break will be less likely to succeed in higher levels of education.
In turn, this limits financial opportunities, primarily for children from low-income families. Many of these individuals fail to complete their high school degrees in severe instances. On average, these same children are three grade levels behind their peers, limiting their chances of securing scholarships.
Understanding the basics of summer learning loss and how it directly affects the performance and opportunities for students is essential for fighting against this discriminatory phenomenon. Raise awareness amongst other parents and educators to ensure your children receive adequate resources throughout the summer break.
