Summer Resources

Poster by Maya G. Peralez

What is Summer Slide?

Loss of knowledge over the summer break from school, often referred to as the “summer slide”, can contribute to disparities in school performance across students. During the summer, when students are not engaging in formal schooling, test score performances can drop in reading and math. Although these effects vary individually, scientists have been investigating the direction of the change and to what extent it affects the learning performance at each grade and subject. Here, we have provided some recent findings on the summer learning loss phenomenon, and some resources in the greater Austin area to help keep your children engaged in various activities over the summer.

Illustrations by Charlotte Y. Ho

Current Literature and News on Summer Learning Loss

  • Summer Learning Loss: What is it, and what can we do about it?
    • Learning rates are variable during the summer break with some students making greater gains while others experiencing more significant losses.
    • Summer slide depends on many factors such as socioeconomic status, grade level, and subject.
      • Income-based reading skills change differently over the summer with improvements among middle-income students and a decline in lower-income students.
      • Black and Latino students tend to lose more school-year learning over the summer compared to White students.
      • On average, students lose more math skills comparatively to reading skills during the summer.
    • The effectiveness of summer schools varies based on quality and the type of activities students do.
      • Academic learning with hands-on or recreational activities, professional development, and participating in community organizations are commonly suggested for summer school programs.
      • As an alternative, students can also participate in home-based summer programs, such as reading challenges and programs.
  • Is summer learning loss real, and does it widen test score gaps by family income?
    • While summer learning loss affects all students, particularly in reading and math, it disproportionately impacts those from low-income families.
    • This learning loss phenomenon can be explained by achievement gaps as children from higher-income families tend to engage in educational enrichment during the summer.
    • However, the extent and the causes of summer learning loss among children from different grade levels, socioeconomic statuses, and race/ethnicity backgrounds are still debated.
  • Summer learning loss: What we know and what we’re learning
    • Students’ test performance flatten or drop over the summer, especially math in comparison to reading.
    • Learning rates have greater variability during the summer, regardless of racial and socioeconomic status of a child’s school.
    • Summer programs running five weeks or longer with regular attendance tend to be most beneficial for preventing learning loss.
  • School’s Out. Should you worry about the ‘summer slide’?
    • There is mixed evidence on who is affected by summer slide.
    • Structured summer programs have shown to at least maintain or enhance academic performance.
      • Programs with both academics and activity have shown to be the most beneficial.
    • At home learning can be an alternate prevention plan with summer reading initiatives.

Summer Resources

Summer Events & Challenges

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