Researching Summer Learning Loss

Researching....my thoughts.

     The process of researching for my paper began with a visit to some databases. I did not find it difficult to find information on my topic, only that the sources I found often said the same thing and quoted the same study.  I was able to find good scholarly sources. I began with not thinking I had enough information to write a 1000-word paper, but found that I had to leave a great deal out.

    I learned a great deal through researching this topic. I was unaware of just how much knowledge is being lost over the summer breaks and the long-term effects this has on the students. I would like to research this topic more. I also would like to see up-to-date research to see if any improvements have been made over the past few years. 


  

Summer Learning Loss

Summer learning loss also known as the "summer slide" or achievement loss is the loss of learned information that children experience over summer vacation. Three months of reading progress is lost each summer, and this loss is cumulative over time. By the end of the fifth-grade children can be three years behind their classmates if nothing is done.

All children can experience this loss, but it is much more prevalent in lower social and economic children, and those of different ethnic and racial backgrounds.

This loss happens every year and is compounded which creates a higher loss level through their entire educational career.

Every community experiences this loss, although it is higher in lower economic communities and rural communities.

Children need ongoing opportunities to learn and practice essential skills to prevent the loss of that information until it can become a permanent part of their knowledge base.