by Adams County School District #14 Superintendent Sue Chandler
With summer comes sunshine, outdoor enjoyment and free time for students across the District. Unfortunately, the summer months also mean that most students are not engaged in enriching, educational opportunities, which contributes to summer learning loss.
So, what does summer learning loss mean, and how might it affect your student?
The National Summer Learning Association reports that:
All young people experience learning losses when they do not engage in educational activities during the summer. Research spanning 100 years shows that students typically score lower on standardized tests at the end of summer vacation than they do on the same tests at the beginning of the summer (White, 1906; Heyns, 1978; Entwisle and Alexander 1992; Cooper, 1996; Downey et al, 2004).
Most students lose about two months of grade level equivalency in mathematical computation skills over the summer months. Low-income students also lose more than two months in reading achievement, despite the fact that their middle-class peers make slight gains (Cooper, 1996).
Children lose more than academic knowledge over the summer. Most children—particularly children at high risk of obesity—gain weight more rapidly when they are out of school during summer break (Von Hippel et al, 2007).
Parents consistently cite summer as the most difficult time to ensure that their children have productive things to do (Duffett et al, 2004).
Summer is also an excellent opportunity to help your student make significant academic gains before the next school year through summer school sessions. If your child qualifies for summer school services, we highly recommend you enroll them in this valuable opportunity.
We encourage all families to invest in the many opportunities available to engage your student academically over the summer. Here are some easy and fun ideas and activities you can try this summer:
Get a library card for your child and enjoy the Commerce City Anythink Library together! There are a variety of fun activities happening throughout the summer for the entire family.
Start a family book summer book club. Read a book as a family and have special discussion nights over dinner…maybe even on a picnic!
Make trips to the grocery store a family affair. Invite your children and enhance their math skills by having them help budget the grocery list as you shop.
Cook a meal as a family, encouraging your child to help with the measuring – a great way to practice math skills.
Turn family walks into nature explorations! Have your child write a summary of what they saw on the nature walk, and draw pictures that depict the adventure.
Visit the Commerce City Recreation Center for a variety of fun and engaging summer activities. Call 303-289-3760 or visit www.c3gov.com for more information.
Check out the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge. A brand new visitor center features a Discovery Room – designed for kids of all ages! Access to the Discovery Room is free, and it features a variety of interactive activities. It’s open to the public Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 303-289-0930 for more information.